The Perils of Pollux
by SallyOn
Summary: The ongoing saga of the royal house of Pollux, as it rebuilds after the Drule war and the treachery of the last king. Bandor makes a great alliance through marriage, while Romelle struggles with what has become of the stalwart knight who rescued her from the Pit of Skulls. Will their friends from the Voltron Force be able to cure a deadly infection, and save one of their own?
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note: This story parallels 'A Knight's Journey', and this chapter is a re-telling of the end of chapter 27, which was about the after party of Pidge and Larmina's wedding. This story will move forward from there, but the main players will be Sven and Romelle. In addition, the possible haggerium cure that was mentioned in 'A Knight's Journey' will be dealt with also. If you haven't read 'A Knight's Journey' don't worry because you will be able to follow along anyway. However, for full appreciation of Grand Prince Fauk, reading of Chapters 17, 26, and 27 is recommended. They will also give insight into Sven and Romelle's relationship.**_

_**Conversations**_

That night Lance and Allura were in their bedroom, having a nightcap of Arusian brandy, while chatting about the after wedding party. The big topic was why Keith and Eimear never showed up for the evening. Allura was hopeful that Fauk had been right, while Lance was having a hard time believing it. She reminded him of how happy Keith had been when she'd asked to have Aiden in the wedding, and that maybe he had just needed a push like that to get things going. Lance wondered if maybe Eimear had finally run out of patience and had taken matters into her own hands. Allie laughed at that as she took another sip of her brandy, enjoying how smooth it was.

"This is good! I could have used this halfway through our meal with Sven." Allura began, as she sipped at the brandy. She sat down on the small sofa in the sitting area, getting a thoughtful look on her face. Lance came over and sat next to her, putting his arm around her and pulling her close against him.

"I can see why Pidge made the observation he did, about Romelle and Sven needing a marriage counselor. It is also very clear why your cousin moved out and got her own place; damn it all I wanted to slap the man." Lance's annoyance could be heard clearly in his voice.

"Fauk made it all work out though, I have to say. He actually got Sven to join the conversation!" Allie exclaimed in a surprised tone. Fauk had been to earth, and in addition to Italy, and Russia, he had been to Denmark and Norway. He had made it a point to ask Sven several detailed questions about his home country.

"Allie, that man might be the final straw that breaks Sven and Romelle's marriage." Lance's voice was very serious, and Allie put her glass down and made it a point to pay close attention to what he was saying. When her husband used that tone she knew that it carried a warning that needed to be heeded.

"Lance, I guess I missed something in talking to Fauk, as I only saw how pleasant and charming he was." Allie really wanted to hear what Lance had to say, and she watched carefully as he put his glass down on the table. He removed his arm from around her shoulders, and took his hands in her.

"Darling, do you remember several months ago, when we talked about your feelings for Keith?" Lance carefully asked her, as he gripped her hands. She felt the strength, and the warmth, as she looked into his soft brown eyes. Allura thought for a moment, and then remembering the conversation nodded her head. He had come up to have breakfast with her in bed, even though they weren't married. Dorcas had happily given him a hard time about being in her room before they were married.

"I asked you what would have happened if Keith had spoken up when he first returned, about his feelings for you." Lance put it out there, and she looked at him as she replayed the conversation in her mind. It had been hard to admit the teenage crush she'd had on Keith, especially to the man that she loved, but he had made her face it head on.

"Lance I told you that I would have been terribly happy, thinking all my teenage dreams were coming true. I then added though that somewhere between the third week of the engagement, and the first wedding anniversary, I would have realized what a mistake I had made." Allie confessed, remembering that it had caused her more than one nightmare.

"So let's visualize that whole scenario, ok?" Lance titled his head, still holding her hands as his brown eyes looked at her dark blue ones. She nodded her head, feeling his strong fingers entwined with hers.

"You are married to Keith and something happens in the Kingdom, or you have to make some last minute trip, or he needs to accompany you to an evening engagement, yet again. He doesn't understand why you two can't just stay at home? Or why do you have to spend time with someone you don't like?" Lance smiled encouragingly and went on "I think you get the picture, right?"

Allie thought of what her life was life, and how Lance had nailed her day to day routine. Things came up at the last minute, people and organizations had to be accommodated to keep everything happy. It all worked because of Lance, Coran, and Rigsby. Coran was the senior government official, Rigsby was the gatekeeper, and Lance was the charming diplomat.

"There you are married to Keith, who is having snit fits about god knows what – not quite as bad as Sven but fairly close. You are already overworked and I am hanging around, your understanding friend. You cry on my shoulder, and I probably end up filling in for Keith once or twice on some of the engagements." Lance exposited, as he squeezed her hands. Allie was starting to see where this was going.

"My being around is not going to help your situation with Keith, as you will compare how easy things are with me as opposed to Keith. Now, Keith is my best friend and I would like to think that I would be honorable about it, no matter how hard that might be. However, Fauk isn't friends with Sven, and I don't think he is particularly honorable either." Lance finished up his analogy.

"Lance, I understand now, and see how it could turn into a very ugly situation. Would you care if I go try to talk to Romelle? I wanted to do it anyway, after tonight, and with what you've told me now I think I really need to." Allura turned to look at her husband. He was so good to her, and so handsome; she felt lucky to have him.

"Sugar, great minds must think alike! I was debating trying to talk to Sven, but I didn't want you to think I was running out on you." Lance chuckled and kissed her on the forehead. He then moved to her lips, and enjoyed the way the brandy tasted on her tongue.

"Mmm, maybe when we get done with our respective chats we could spend some time together in the chaise lounge." Allie's voice was teasing and sultry at the same time, and Lance started to wonder if the talk could wait until tomorrow. He was still amazed at how she could arouse him so easily.

"Ready for another around, after our afternoon?" Lance nuzzled her ear; they had made love twice and were late for their own party. He went to nuzzle her neck, but the scarf was in the way, and it took him minute to remember why she was wearing it.

"Listen Darling, I didn't mean to leave those marks on your neck; I just got very carried away." Lance looked at her ruefully, and she giggled.

"Lance McClain it is a good thing you are as handsome as you, not to mention incredible in bed. Honestly though, it is fine and they were will be gone in a day or two; plus I enjoyed getting them!" Allie told him, as she kissed him again. She broke it off and went to stand up, saying "Let's go have our talks, so we can get back here sooner, rather than later."


	2. Chapter 2

_**Allura & Romelle**_

Allura knocked on the door to Romelle's room, but didn't get an answer. Looking at the time, she wondered if her cousin was in the nursery with Erik. Her heart sank at that thought, not because she didn't want to see Erik, but because of Nanny. Allura had tried to be cordial to the woman, but Nanny was still holding a grudge about everything that had happened.

The woman had not been happy when Allura decided that Larmina needed a lady's maid, instead of Nanny. A generous pension and a cottage had only given her too much time on her hands to get bitter. Having Erik to take care of had made her very happy, especially since she was in total control. Allura still cringed when she had told Nanny that she was marrying Lance.

Lance had been the pilot that she always had the most issues with, Allura knew very well. When she had gone to tell the older woman about her decision it had been very unpleasant. Nanny had called Lance several nasty names, and point blank told Allura that she would regret her choice. There had also been the lecture about the dignity of the throne, and the royal house.

When Romelle had wanted to take Erik back to Pollux with her, Nanny decided that she was going along too. Romelle had been very concerned that Allura would be upset at her taking Nanny, but was relieved when her cousin didn't have a problem with it. From Allura's point of view, it solved the problem of Nanny hanging around the castle.

As she walked over to the nursery she thought of Lance's comment at dinner, about how Nanny had looked at him. She debating saying something to the older woman, but decided it wasn't worth an argument. Romelle was scheduled to leave in a couple of days, so the issue would resolve itself.

Allura knocked gently on the door, and then opened it softly as she peered into the room. Nanny was sitting by the fireplace mending something, while Romelle was in a rocking chair nursing Erik. She looked up at her cousin, and smiled for her to come in. Allura went over and sat by Romelle, and watched with interest as her cousin shifted Erik slightly.

She'd had babies on her mind lately, knowing that she and Lance both wanted a large family. She knew that he would be a great father, and it was fun to think about what their children would look like. Allura also wondered what it would be like to hold your own baby, and take care of it. The few times she had held Erik, Allura had felt an ache she didn't understand. Of course those times had been when Nanny was not around.

"Good Evening, Romelle, Nanny. How is it going?" Allura spoke in a low voice, not wanting to disturb the baby. Romelle said hello back, but Nanny just nodded her head not bothering to look up from her sewing. Allura felt bad that it had come to this, with the woman who had practically raised her since her mother had died when she was young.

"How often do you feed him Romelle?" Allura inquired with interest.

"Not as often as when he was first born, then it was every two hours. Now, since he is older and starting to eat some solid foods it is about every four hours. The big help is that he sleeps through the night most nights now, but I leave a bottle of milk that I've pumped for him." Romelle told her cousin, and went on to explain what that meant. She wondered if Allura was asking to make conversation, or because she might be pregnant.

Romelle had felt bad for her cousin having to endure the speculation about why she'd married so quickly. Since the wedding the press had done nothing but postulate about whether Allura was pregnant, when she would get pregnant, and even if she could get pregnant. Romelle thought it was too intrusive for words, to have that kind of scrutiny on you. She decided that she wouldn't ask Allura the reason why she was interested in breast feeding.

"So you are pregnant, Princess? It is about time." Nanny did not have the same scruples that Romelle did. She had been sure that her princess was only marrying the hooligan because she was pregnant. When that turned out to be false Nanny had been secretly disappointed. As mad as she was with the princess she still nursed a small hope that her charge would come to her senses, and call her old Nanny back.

"No Nanny, I am not pregnant. Please keep in mind that I have been married for less than three months." Allura intoned coldly, thinking of all the speculation on the newsfeeds about the matter. She had decided that when it happens, she and Lance would keep it private for as long as possible. The press had been interested in her private life since she was eighteen, and she still didn't understand why.

Romelle finished with Erik, and after burping him, put him in his crib. She said good night to Erik, and then to Nanny. Romelle had the impression her cousin wanted to talk to her, so she invited her to her room. She knew that Allura wouldn't want to talk with Nanny around, and having listened to the woman Romelle couldn't blame her cousin one bit.

Down in her room she offered her cousin some tea, having her own self-heating kettle and supplies. Getting that set up kept her busy, while she gathered her thoughts. Romelle wondered if Allura was down here to talk about Sven, which she wasn't sure if she wanted to or not. Her cousin's husband was her husband's best friend, and she didn't want to betray him. On the other hand, Allura was her cousin and she didn't have any other female relatives to talk to.

"I feel bad that Nanny is treating you like she is." Romelle thought it safe to start the conversation that way, and see how it developed.

"Don't worry about it, Romelle. I really didn't expect anything else. She has never liked Lance, and that is not going to change." Allura laughed dismissively, privately thanking her lucky stars that Nanny lived on Pollux now.

"Why do you think that is? Lance is wonderful to you Allura! He has always been there for you; why doesn't she appreciate that?" Romelle asked, thinking about how affectionate the man was with her at dinner. She also remembered all times that Lance had been there for her cousin, while Arus was being rebuilt.

Romelle had followed the pictures and the newsfeeds, trying not to feel jealous of her cousin. At the time things had still been good with Sven, so she had consoled herself that she had a husband while her cousin didn't. She knew that Allura had been in love with Keith, and felt bad that her cousin was putting her life on hold waiting for the man. Romelle had also felt for her cousin, having to have her love life be such public property.

"Nanny has always had issues with Lance, but I think at the end of the day she would have resented anyone that I married. I probably should not have retired her from taking care of Larmina, but she was slowing down so much." Allura sighed, wishing things had gone differently. She then decided to get off the subject of Nanny, and on to what she came to talk about in the first place.

"Romelle, I don't want to seem like I'm prying, but I'm concerned about how things are with you and Sven?" Allura probed cautiously, not sure what her cousin's reaction would be.

"Well, welcome to the club Allura! I'm concerned to, and Bandor is furious about the whole thing." Romelle let out a heavy breath, as her shoulders sagged before she continued "He is getting harder to deal with, you saw that tonight, I know. I had hoped that if we had some time apart, and some space, things would calm down between us. Unfortunately it hasn't worked that way."

"Romelle, what happened with you and Sven? You two were in love at one time!" Allura wanted to know how things had gone so wrong with her cousin and her friend.

"Allura, I don't know any more if it was love or something else. I was so grateful that Sven helped me in the Pit of Skulls, and I know that I helped him too. We were attracted to each other, but it wasn't like there was anyone else around, if you know what I mean?" Romelle stated, and Allura nodded her head knowingly. The Drules had changed their lives completely, from what they would have known as royal princesses.

"We spent the first year on Pollux organizing the people to fight, and then helping to rebuild. I lived at the palace, which was almost reduced to rubble, while Sven lived in the barracks. We spent time together, and were definitely attracted to each other. We kissed, and that kind of thing, but nothing else; I mean it wasn't like there was a lot of free time. The Drules were attacking, something needed to be taken care, and you get the picture." Romelle explained to Allura, who had no problem picturing it in her mind.

"Sven was always a gentleman, he was kind and caring. The time we did have together was wonderful, Allura. We laughed and talked about the stuff we would do when the war ended." Romelle wanted to cry as she remembered those times.

"The war ended, Bandor came home, and we started rebuilding in earnest. By then Sven and I had been going out, if that is what you call it, for almost three years. People were starting to wonder what was going on with us. I know that you can relate to that!" Romelle exclaimed to her cousin, who rolled her eyes in understanding.

Allura thought about the five years of speculation about her and Lance, and what their relationship really was. Thinking about what Romelle was saying Allura saw how the fact that Lance resided on earth, while she resided on Arus had kept the story from spinning out of control. She started to see how Romelle must have felt pressured about the relationship. She reached out and took her cousin's hand, as she encouraged her to go on.

"Bandor was trying to re-establish the royal house's creditability, after what our father had done. He was hyper-sensitive to anything negative being said about us. I know too that Sven felt funny about the position he was in with the Polluxian defense forces. Bandor had put him in charge, but he wasn't from Pollux, and had no real ties to the planet or the people." Romelle looked off into the far corner of the room, as she thought about that time.

"What we really needed I think was more time to get to know each other, under normal circumstances. I just feel that we rushed into marriage, not understanding each other very well. That is why I thought taking a step back, living in our own houses, and getting re-acquainted would be helpful. Instead I think it has made it worse with Sven." Romelle shook her head as she said that, and clasped Allura's hand tight.

"The thing is though Allura, for the first time in a long time I am happy! When I lived in that horrid house with Sven he wouldn't let me do anything to make it nice. Now, if I want a vase of flowers I can have them. And I don't have someone telling me everything I'm doing wrong, or just being grumpy. It is so nice not to feel like you are walking on eggshells all the time. Allura, it is sad because everyone is much happier now, but Sven." Romelle told her cousin, adding "Well, and Bandor but that is just because Sven is so hateful when he comes to visit."

Allura pictured what Romelle was telling her, about living with Sven. Before the party tonight she would have had a hard time with it. Watching how Sven talked to her cousin though, she understood what Romelle was telling her. Lance had said that he saw why Romelle had moved out, and now she did too. She also understood Pidge's comment, about the marriage counselor. However, she didn't think anything would help this situation.

"Romelle, what are you plans for the future?" Allura wondered if her cousin had given any thought to that, and her life down the road.

"At this point I don't have any, Allura. I am trying to think of what is best for Erik, and I know that he needs his father in his life. Sven wants to be in Erik's life, but he doesn't want me in his, is what I am seeing. I don't want to lose Erik again, but I just don't see how we can live with Sven! I wish it was just the haggerium, but I think it is a lot more than that." Romelle's voice was filled with sadness, as she laid out what her life was.

Allura reached over and hugged Romelle, who started to cry. She felt so bad for her cousin and the situation she was in. She couldn't imagine living with someone who talked to her the way Sven had talked to Romelle at dinner tonight. After a bit Romelle dried her tears, and drank some more of her tea.

"What has Bandor said about the situation?" Allura inquired, knowing that as King, Bandor had final say over his sister and his nephew.

"He really doesn't want any scandal before the wedding, so he wants me to get along with Sven as best as I can. Fauk knows the whole situation, because Bandor felt like he needed to be honest with Elena about what was going on." Romelle hung her head as she repeated what her brother had told her, adding "He says that after the wedding, we can talk more about the issue."

Allura felt bad for Bandor, having to deal with a situation like this just before his wedding. She remembered what he had said once, about how lonely he had been, working all the time. He was pompous, but he was young, almost as young as Allura. Both had been to thrust into positions that should never have been theirs. She wondered if she would deal with the matter any differently than Bandor was.

"Has Fauk spoken to you about Sven?" Allura decided to introduce the subject, thinking about what Lance had said about the charming prince. She didn't like the way her cousin suddenly looked very cautious, whereas she had been so open before. Allura now wondered if Fauk was already the issue that Lance said he could become.

"Not in so many words, Allura, just vague references. Fauk has been great, I mean you saw him tonight, he actually had Sven involved in the conversation." Romelle had no intention of telling her cousin all the things Fauk had told her, or mentioning what he'd done with his foot at the table. As she thought of that, she remembered his comments about why her cousin at the scarf around her neck. Part of her wondered what Allura would think if she brought that up now.

"Yes, he is very charming and I have enjoyed talking to him several times Romelle. Just be careful because people can so easily get the wrong idea, if you get my meaning." Allura decided to sound neutral, not wanting her cousin to shut down. Romelle smiled at her in understanding of the comment.

Fauk had told her almost the same thing, and she knew how important it was to guard their reputations. But it had been so long since she'd had any pleasure in her life, and all Fauk wanted to do was make her happy. Right now, she mused, he was the only one who seemed to care about her happiness. Romelle knew that her cousin meant well, but Allura had a handsome, charming husband who couldn't keep his hands off of her.

Even when they were first married Sven had not acted like that with her. They would have sex, and then Sven would roll over to the far side of the bed, saying he needed to be able to move while he slept. If she was cuddled with him he couldn't do that, and it made him too warm also. Romelle was pretty sure that Lance had never told Allura that, after sex. She and Allura chatted for a little longer, and then Romelle said she was tired, so Allura said good night.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Lance & Sven**_

Lance headed down to the pilot's quarters wishing he would have waited until tomorrow to talk to Sven. Then he and Allie could have made love on the chaise lounge, and giggled about the time at Versailles, on their honeymoon. He put that thought out of his mind, and as he passed Keith's quarters he hoped that things had worked out with Eimear. Things had been difficult with Keith since they got back from their honeymoon.

When Keith had first come back from the Chapter House Lance had been optimistic that everything would work out between them. Allie had been very happy when Keith had escorted Eimear to the pre-wedding ball. Lady Eimear Ainsley was a widow of a Knight of Arus that he had met while he'd been at the Knight's Chapter House.

He knew that the wedding had been very painful for Keith, but also knew that his friend would not have wanted to miss it. He and Allie had really hoped that being gone for a month would resolve the situation. They were also hopeful that Keith and Eimear were moving along with their relationship. It had been disappointing to come home to find that Keith was in a worse place with them than before, and seemed stalled with Eimear.

Keith's behavior was stiff at best, and Lance felt the gulf between them. He had gone along when Allie had stated she wanted to keep the third floor reserved just for them. That had been after Keith had wanted to talk to Lance about some GA stuff that needed to be implemented. The man had called at the end of the day, after Lance and Allie had just come back from the Arusian Military Academy.

They were sitting out on the dining room balcony, having cocktails when Keith had called. Lance at thought about inviting him up, but Allie had demurred at that idea. He had gone along with Allie because he felt she had the last say, and he really didn't want Keith lecturing him about his smoking. He'd been enjoying a cigarette when Keith had called, and he was careful to keep it out of sight. In Lance's mind it was his personal business if he wanted to smoke in his private living space. Allie didn't have an issue with it, and that was what mattered.

However, several days later he figured out why Allie had demurred like she had. Lance caught Keith looking at his wife with hurt, longing, and way too much curiosity. He started to pay more attention and noticed that his friend did it a lot. He gave Allie high points for handling like she did, and when they discussed it she had said that she didn't want to cause any more friction between him and Keith.

Lance had told her that their privacy was the most important thing, and she really should have said something sooner. Keith might be his best friend, but Allie was his wife and she came first. After he had told her that, she'd cried and then they had made love. Lance talked to her afterwards, about changing the codes for the access panels, and she had given him the green light.

The servants had their own codes that they guarded furiously, so the only other issue was Larmina and Pidge. They were engaged, and everyone knew they were already sleeping together, but pretended like it wasn't happening. The codes had not been changed since the Castle had been rebuilt, and he, Pidge, and Hunk all had them. It was a safety precaution because of the situation with Wade and the Lions. If anything happened they reasoned, at one of them would be able to get to Arus and help Allie. Lance wasn't sure if Keith had been given them after he returned, but figured that since he was the Voltron commander, he probably had them.

When Lance talked to Pidge he had presented it as a request to update the security, now that things were back to normal. He also mentioned that since they were up there, Allie and Larmina were not alone anymore. Pidge had understood completely, and Lance found it interesting that he didn't say anything about bringing Keith or Hunk into the loop. He decided that maybe Pidge wanted privacy like he did.

The last couple of days though, Allie had observed, Keith had been back to his normal self with her. Lance had noticed that too, and it made him happy that he might get his friendship back. He had known that winning Allie would cause problems, and wished it could have been different. Lance now saw he should have just spoken up sooner, and they would have already been a couple by the time Keith came back. He was glad though that maybe everything would work out after all.

Lance put those thoughts out of his mind and he stopped in front of the door to the quarters that Sven was staying in. Quarters was being kind, in fact it was just a bedroom that was kept for extra personal that might need a bed for the night. He knew that it wasn't a good sign that Sven was all the way down here, in this type of room.

Even if he and Romelle weren't getting along, Sven should have had much better accommodations. Lance knew that there were several rooms available on the second floor that he could have chosen from. It said something that this was what the man had chosen, and he didn't like the meaning of the choice. He knocked on the door and heard a voice telling him to come in.

Sven had stayed through most of the meal, not wanting Bandor on his case again. His brother-in-law had cornered him after the wedding reception and taken him to task about Romelle. Bandor was upset at the rumors that were swirling around, regarding the state of his sister's marriage. Sven thought it unfair that he was the one being lectured when Romelle was the one keeping her distance. He knew better than to point that out though.

The meal had been ghastly with Fauk pretending to want to talk to him, while Sven knew he was only interested in Romelle. He had been all set to leave the table, to hell with Bandor, when Lance and Allura had joined them. Lance had been a good friend of his once, but the man seemed so different now that he was with Allura. Sven had felt bad for Keith, until Keith had lectured him at the reception. He didn't understand why everyone took Romelle's side. When he saw Lance come into the room, his heart sank.

"Sven, it was good to see you at the party tonight! I'm sorry that we haven't had more time together." Lance greeted his old friend. Sven had not looked good at the party, and he seemed almost worse now. Lance hoped it was just the late hour that was causing him to think that.

"Well now that you are prince consort you are very busy with important matters." Sven remarked in a cold tone, and Lance was taken aback by the anger in his friend's voice.

"I still have time for my friends, Sven. It was nice to have dinner with you and Romelle, and I know Allura and Romelle enjoyed visiting with each other." Lance replied, wanting to get to the bottom of what was bothering his friend.

"Yea and what about Fauk? Romelle enjoyed visiting with him too." Sven almost snarled as he made the observation, and Lance thought back to what he'd told Allie earlier. He decided that maybe he could do some damage control.

"Sven, I think Fauk is just trying to make a good impression on his sister's soon to be husband and family. He is rather at loose ends because Bandor and Elena are so wrapped up in each other. Allie was telling me that she had coffee with him the other morning, and he talked her ear off." Lance hoped that if he could get Sven to see Fauk from that angle, maybe it would calm him down.

"It didn't bother you that your wife was talking to Fauk without you around?" Sven inquired in a surprised tone, and Lance looked at him oddly.

"Allie talks to a lot of people, men, and women, when I am not around; it is part of her job, Sven. What is really going on with you and Romelle? And why are you down here? Even if you don't want to stay with your wife, there are better rooms in the Castle." Lance was puzzled and confused at the turn the conversation had taken.

"You have obviously not been told the true story, Lance. My wife does not want me in her room, because of the issues in our marriage. I don't wish to stay in some fancy room that Bandor thinks I should stay in because I am married to a princess. I am tired of everyone telling me to meet Romelle halfway, when she isn't doing anything in return." Sven laid out his grievances in precise order. Lance sighed and now really wished he had not come downstairs.

"Sven, have you talked to Romelle about what happened with Erik? I think she is upset that you took him and fled the planet." Lance privately thought that Sven was lucky that Bandor hadn't had him arrested for that action.

"Excuse me, she comes after me with a knife because I want to know when dinner is going to be ready, and it is my fault? She doesn't want to be my wife, she doesn't like the house I chose, she doesn't like the way I want to live, and pretty much she doesn't want anything to do with me unless I do what she wants." Sven was now agitated to the point that Lance could see the purple glow in his eyes.

"Do you think that maybe you are expecting too much of her, Sven? You married a princess after all." Lance didn't like how rigid and hostile Sven was coming across as with him. Coupling that with his behavior toward his wife at dinner, Lance had no problem seeing why Romelle didn't want him around.

"You want to lecture me that I should give Romelle what she wants, because she is a princess. Keith has already lectured me that because of Erik I should put up with it, and then we have Bandor." Sven hurled his accusations like they were knives. Lance found it interesting that Keith had lectured Sven about what was going on. He decided that maybe a change of subject was in order though.

"How is Pidge's treatment working out? Have you been following the regime?" Lance knew that Pidge was very encouraged by the results that he'd seen with Daniel. Lance had laughed at the whole smoking pot story, and Pidge's controlled test experiment. He didn't think that Sven would have a problem having to smoke pot, because Sven, back in their academy days, had smoked more than Lance ever had. It had made Keith totally crazy.

"I already told Keith that I stopped the trials, because what was the point of it. No one cares if I live or die." Sven put it out there like he was discussing the weather. Lance now looked at his old friend with horror, not believing that he would turn his back on his son. He tried to say as much to Sven, and was treated to the whole spiel of Romelle not liking the house, and wanting him to spend money.

Lance by now was willing to nominate both Romelle, and Bandor for sainthood, for dealing with this mess. He wondered why Bandor had not gotten on his high horse as King of Pollux, which Lance knew he could do so well, and dealt with Sven in an unpleasant manner. Bandor held all the cards, but Lance saw that Sven either didn't realize it, or didn't care anymore.

"Sven, I don't know why you are so angry at everyone. We are your friends, and we care about you! You have a son who is going to need you as he gets older. Ok, so you and Romelle have different opinions on how to live; that is not the end of the world. You two can still be there for Erik, even if you don't live together." Lance made one last ditch appeal, really wanting to be done dealing with Sven.

"Why can't Romelle be happy living with me, in my house, raising my son like I want him to be raised? And why does everyone act like it is my entire problem?" Sven raged at Lance, who took a step back as his friend came at him. His eyes glowed purple, and Lance could see that the Sven he knew wasn't present right now.

As fast as Sven's rage came up, it faded; Lance watched as he sat on the side of the bed, slumped over. He stood there speechless, not sure what to do next. Sven looked up at him, haunted and haggard, with hollow eyes. Lance went over and sat on the bed, putting his arm around Sven. They sat in silence for a while, while Sven's breathing returned to normal.

"Lance, I just want peace, and to be left alone with my family. I have no say in anything regarding my life, and no one understands why it makes me mad." Sven finally offered up, getting to the crux of his anger and rage. Lance could see, from Sven's perspective, how Bandor's concern would come off. He knew is friend was proud and stubborn, wanting to do things how he saw fit.

"Sven, do you think that maybe because of the advance state of the haggerium infection, you aren't seeing things as other people are?" Lance tried to be subtle as he put it out there, not wanting to start the Viking's rage flowing again.

"You are just like everyone else Lance, all on Romelle's side, and blaming me for everything. Just leave now!" Sven stood up and pointed at the door, as he looked at Lance with anger.

"Sven, I don't want to see you throw away your life, your marriage, or your son because you've dug your heels in over something that is not worth it." Lance was almost pleading, trying to make some connection with his friend, the man who had saved his life.

"What do you care about my life Lance? I have no life that is my own! Please leave now!" Sven hurled the statements at him, and Lance decided that it was time to go. However, he wasn't going to give up completely on his friend.

"I hope that when you've had a good night's sleep you will rethink our conversation Sven. Don't ruin your life like this. Good night." Lance left the room, shutting the door behind him.

Sven watched him go and felt a great sadness wash over him. At least Lance had made the effort to come down and talk to him, which is more than anyone else had so far. He remembered at the Academy the way Lance would not put up with his attitude. Sven knew that he had a tendency to be hard headed and stubborn. He came by it naturally he tried to joke once, being Norwegian, but Lance hadn't bought the answer. Neither had several instructors and Sven, for all of his brilliance, had graduated at the lower end of the class, because he wanted to do everything his way.

He got into bed, hoping he would fall asleep quickly, but it didn't happen. Instead, he saw his wife and Fauk sitting at the table together. He also saw Lance's face as the man told him not to throw everything away. It was a long night for the Viking.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's Note: I need to apologize for taking so long to post, but we have had the flu, the holidays, and company at our house. I promise more regular updates from now on, and to make up for the delay I'm posting two chapters back to back.**_

_**Aftershocks**_

Allura left Romelle's room feeling bad for her cousin, but very concerned also. She could hardly wait to talk to Lance, about how his conversation with Sven went. When she entered the bedroom she saw, at the far end, the door to the balcony open. She walked across the room, smiling as she looked at the chaise lounge. Hopefully Lance would still be interested in spending time there.

As she walked out to the balcony though, she rather doubted it. Lance was sitting at the table, having a cigarette, with a bottle of Bushmills and a glass in front of him. He never smoked this late at night, and the Bushmills was not a good sign either. Allura stepped inside for a minute, and walking over to a small cabinet in the corner, she pulled out a glass.

When she got back outside she went over to the table and sat down next to Lance, pouring herself some of the whiskey. Lance looked at her with relief, glad that he didn't have to be alone with his thoughts anymore. He took a deep drag on his cigarette, as she took a swallow of the whiskey.

"Let me guess, you had a short, unpleasant conversation with Sven." Allura observed, and Lance nodded his head, giving her a rueful smile. He appreciated how well she read him, and how comfortable it was to be with her. Lance never had to hide anything from her, which he appreciated.

"Darling, unpleasant doesn't even come close to describing it!" Lance informed her. He then went on to tell her all of Sven's grievances, finishing up with the detail that he'd stopped the treatments. Lance had been appalled at how Sven was treating his life, and his son's life. He told Allie that, and she looked at him in shock and horror.

"No, he's not willing to die, just because he isn't getting his way!" Allie exclaimed, as she took a large swallow of whiskey. Lance looked at her sympathetically, as he took another drag on his cigarette. She looked at the ashtray and realized that he was smoking his second cigarette. Allie knew that he only did that when he was very upset, and it had been a long time since he'd been in that state.

"His pride is hurt by what Romelle has done, Allie. Not that I blame her." Lance stated, upset that his friend was acting the way he was. It had taken a great deal not to push him against the wall and get in his face like he'd wanted to.

"Well I talked to Romelle, and she was very matter of fact about the whole thing. She feels they really needed more time together under normal circumstances, to get to know each other better." Allie went on to explain Romelle's logic about her getting her own house.

"Lance, I think Fauk is already causing mischief." Allie confessed, wishing she hadn't seen what she had on her cousin's face. Lance went to pour himself more whiskey, and noticed that she had finished hers. Allie nodded her head when he offered her more, smiling at him with tenderness.

He was already feeling better having Allie here, to talk to about his frustration with Sven. Allie told him what she had noticed with Romelle, when Fauk was mentioned and Lance gave her a knowing glance as he finished his cigarette. He was glad Allie was with him, otherwise he'd have been lighting another one.

"Darling, Sven has one foot in the grave as it is, and Fauk is not going to help how he feels. I tried to tell him that you had spent time with Fauk the other morning, having coffee and talking." Lance explained, and Allie nodded her head as she remembered it. "Sven wanted to know why I was letting you talk to Fauk without me being there." He finished in horrified tones, as he thought about earnest Sven had been.

"Oh, that is not good. Do you think it is the haggerium that is exacerbating the situation?" Allie asked with a hopeful tone in her voice. She watched as Lance got a very sad look on his face, as he shook his head.

"Allie, the man is one of my best friends! He saved my life, and sacrificed his! I can't forget that, but I just don't know what to do for him?" Lance's voice was filled with anguish, and she felt his pain. She rose up from her chair, and went over to sit in his lap. Allie wrapped her arms around his shoulders, as she pulled his head against her chest.

Lance sagged against her, just wanting to feel her warmth and love. He knew that she understood the pain he was in, and she didn't flinch from it. Allie held him tighter, as he worked through the emotions that were racking his body. After a while, Lance calmed down some, but let Allie continue to hold him. She made it a point to breathe along with him, and she knew he was in a better place with it all.

"Darling, what can I do to help him?" Lance asked, reaching for his glass slowly. Allie laid her head against his, and sighed as she thought about his question. She sat up and looked at him, lightly kissing his forehead and nose.

"I think we need to get him back on the haggerium treatments, first thing Lance. That has to be affecting his physical and mental health greatly. Maybe once he is doing better with that, he would be willing to listen to reason." Allie thought out loud, and added "We can get Keith to talk to him. He'll listen to Keith!"

"Actually, Keith already tried to talk to him, according to Sven; I guess it didn't go well! Our fearless leader needs to work on his lectures." Lance gave a wry laugh, as he looked at his cigarette case. He wondered what Keith would think if he knew the reason why he'd started smoking again. Allie gave Lance a pointed look.

"Keith said something to him?" Allie was trying to visualize the conversation in her mind, but it wasn't happening. However, the fact that Keith had tried brought home how serious the situation must be.

"I guess that Keith told him that he needed to work with Romelle, because of Erik. It actually sounded very sensible, but Sven didn't see it that way. He is mad because he thinks everyone is taking Romelle's side in the matter." Lance shook his head, as he remembered listening to Sven.

"Lance, it might not matter whether Sven works with her or not. I picked up, reading between the lines of what Romelle told me, that once Bandor gets back from his honeymoon, he will put his foot down." Allie explained slowly, and told Lance about Bandor wanting Romelle to get along with Sven until after the wedding.

"Sugar that explains why your pompous cousin hasn't done anything before. Listening to Sven, I felt very bad for Bandor and Romelle having to cope with him. At the back of my mind I wondered why Bandor had let the situation simmer for as long as it has." Lance's tones were thoughtful, as the pieces all fell into place.

"Allie, I don't think Sven realizes what Bandor, as King of Pollux, could do to him. He might never see Erik again, if Bandor really snaps." Lance knew all too well how Bandor, still struggling with his throne, felt if someone offended the dignity of the royal house.

"I have a thought, Lance, and it would solve several problems!" Allie suddenly declared, seeing the plan come together in her mind. Lance looked at her with interest, and she gave him a smile.

"It can't be good for Sven to be alone on Crydor, with his thoughts, I am sure. Why don't we have Daniel go back with him? He could keep Sven company, and make sure that he does the haggerium treatments. I know that Pidge wanted to beta test it on Sven first, but since Daniel has the same infection, why not kill two birds with one stone?" Allie looked off in the distance for a minute, before she looked at Lance for an answer.

"You know Darling; you might be on to something there! It would be company for Sven and more research for Pidge." Lance felt a lot happier, and then a thought occurred to him, which made him laugh. Allie gave him a puzzled look, but was glad to see that he was more cheerful.

"If they are both going to be smoking weed, we'd better make sure they have enough food." Lance gave Allie a sly smile, and she almost blushed, knowing what he was referring to. Allie had been on earth, for a visit, and one night they were watching a movie at Lance's parent's apartments. His father was away on a trip, and his mother was in South Carolina writing.

However, his parent's movements were kept out of the news, so people always assumed they were in residence at the splendid apartment. The household staff was very loyal to the family, and knew to keep their mouths shut. The end result was that Allie could stay with Lance, and everyone assumed she was properly chaperoned. It was a comfy arrangement that she had enjoyed, liking to get away from the stiffness of the Embassy.

The movie had involved smoking pot, and Allie didn't know what it meant. Lance had explained it all to her, and she said she was curious to try it. Lance wasn't a big fan of marijuana, but didn't mind it either. By the next evening he'd purchased some, and proceeded to show Allie what was involved in smoking it. They had both ended up silly and giggly, then so hungry that they had a Chinese dinner for six people delivered, which they ate all of.

"I don't think Eliza's delivers to Crydor, Lance." Allie told him, thinking about their favorite place to get take out from. He looked at her with love, as they laughed about that night. She had not been interested in trying pot again, which was fine by him. It was a fond memory though, and he had liked how she had been willing to try something totally out of her comfort zone.

"Maybe having Daniel to think about will give Sven a purpose." Lance speculated, once they finished discussing their favorite dishes from Eliza's. He was back to his normal self, and knew that if it hadn't been for Allie he would have spent the whole night drinking and smoking. He told her that, as he reached up to lightly kiss her.

"I think before I have more whiskey, and you have another cigarette, we should go to bed. It is late, and things always look better in the morning." Allie told him when he broke off the kiss. She nuzzled against his ear, and he sighed heavily.

"Allie, can we just hold each other until we fall asleep? I am totally wiped out by everything." Lance murmured, and he felt Allie stand up. She held out her hand and he took it gladly.

"I think a good night's sleep, and a very slow morning is what we need Lance." Allie said tenderly, as they walked into the bedroom. They dropped their clothes by the side of the bed, and quickly snuggled under the covers. Lance felt her body against his, and knew that his life was perfect. Allie understood him, loved him, and liked him just as he was. He also appreciated her dry wit, which usually only he had the benefit of.

"Look at it this way; Keith won't be dragging you out of bed at 4:00am! Let's hope Eimear is keeping him busy." Allie voice's was muffled as she was snuggled against his chest. He laughed heartily, hoping that was the case.

The next morning Allie woke up around 6:00am, getting out of bed carefully, not wanting to disturb Lance. She put her robe on, and then walked over to her desk bringing up a holoscreen. She sent a message to Rigsby, telling him that she would be too busy with family matters, and wedding guests to see anyone today. They had already kept the schedule clear, but sometimes things came up at the last minute, and the sentry needed to know how to handle the issues. Rigsby knew everything, and everyone, so he would understand what her message really said.

Looking over at Lance, still sound asleep; she decided to do a little snooping on her own. In going through the security logs, she saw that Keith had not come back to the Castle last night. Allie felt very cheered, hoping that he was at Eimear's, happy in her bed. She wrote a memo to Keith, outlining what Lance and her had talked about, regarding Daniel going to Crydor with Sven.

She then climbed back under the covers, and snuggled up next to Lance. He was warm, and smelled very masculine, spicy, and musky at the same time. Lance moved against her, positioning his body tighter against hers with a contented sigh.

"God, I feel like hell! And I am hungry!" Lance rolled over several hours later, sitting up very carefully. Allie looked with sympathy and her husband, remembering last night.

"Just lie back for bit; let me get you some water." She told him, and he took her advice. His head hurt, and he remembered why he didn't like to indulge late at night. Getting up, he met Allie in the bathroom and she looked at him curiously.

"I need to brush my teeth." Lance told her, and she waited while he did that. Allie looked at the bathroom, and remembered their talk about a bigger bathtub yesterday. The room was good sized, but only set up for one person. She looked over at Lance, using the one sink, and admired his body. He caught her looking at him, and smirked.

"Once I feel better, and have some food in me, what do you think about a shower together, Sugar?" Lance asked her, after rinsing out his mouth. He put his arms around her, and pulled her against him.

"Mmm, I would like that Lance. Here take this, and I'll order us some food. I have also taken care that we won't be disturbed all morning, dear." Allie told him, and Lance gave her a grateful look.

"Allie, I just want a slow, private morning with you and no one else, ok?" Lance asked softly in her ear, and she nodded her head.

"I'm going to order us breakfast, along with bloody Mary's, and while we eat I think we need to talk about remodeling the bathroom here. The work could be done while we are on earth in a couple of months." Allie informed him in a pleased voice.

"Can we get a bigger tub?" Lance asked as they went back into the bedroom, and she replied with happy laughter.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Breakfast in the Nursery**_

Romelle entered the nursery for the second time that morning, a little after 8:00am. She had already been in there at 6:00am, to nurse Erik. He would usually go back to sleep, and Romelle would do some yoga or work out. By the time she had done her shower and dressed, it was time for breakfast with solid foods. When she entered the nursery Nanny was putting Erik in his highchair, at the table that was set up over the window.

"Nanny, thank you for getting him ready." Romelle smiled at the older woman gratefully. She couldn't imagine what she would do without her, and after watching her with Allura last night she didn't feel guilty about taking her from her cousin's staff.

"Highness, he is a good boy; and a hungry one too." Nanny announced, as they watched Erik look around for food. He was getting used to the routine now, and knew that good things appeared on the tray when he sat in the chair. Romelle was all set to say something when there was knock on the door, before it slowly opened. She was shocked to see Sven standing there, but managed to greet him pleasantly.

Sven had given a lot of thought to what Lance, and Keith earlier, had told him, about not turning his back on his son just because he was mad at Romelle. Erik was the pride and center of his life, and while he had not liked Lance and Keith confronting him like they had, he saw that they were really looking out for him. They were the only two people who understood his heritage, and why he was as stubborn as he was.

It struck him that both of them were willing to take the time to talk to him, Lance even coming down to his room late at night. Keith had always been the most high the most minded person he had known, while Lance had been the most in your face bastard he had ever dealt with. He had seen how the two personalities merged into a perfect being. He wasn't sure which Nordic god they represented, but knew that it had to be one of them. It was bad form, and bad karma to argue with Nordic gods, he knew from ancient stories.

He hadn't stopped for breakfast, not really being hungry, and wanting to get up to see Erik. Sven had not thought he would have to face Romelle, and he hesitated before entering the nursery. "I thought you would be having breakfast with." Sven paused; all set to say Fauk but decided he didn't want to sound like a jealous teenager, so he amended his comment "with everyone else."

"I have breakfast with Erik every morning, now that he is starting to eat solid foods. Would you like to join us?" Romelle made it a point to smile as she made the offer, wanting to keep Sven calm. She really didn't want breakfast marred by him getting moody.

"Well, I don't know; I was hoping to spend some time with him." He replied, not really wanting Romelle to interfere in his time with Erik.

Romelle saw his indecision and tried to keep from sighing; nothing was ever easy or straightforward with Sven anymore. "Why don't we have breakfast together, and then you and Erik could go do something. It would be good for him to spend some time outside, and now that he is walking some he enjoys playing in the sundial garden." She hoped that offering him some one on one time with their son would make him happy.

"Romelle, you didn't tell me he was walking! When did that happen?" Sven asked rapidly, wishing he had been there to see the boy's first steps. As he thought that, he looked at his wife, thinking it was her fault that he hadn't been there. Romelle saw the look and felt her shoulders start to tense up.

"Sven, he just started, and I sent you a message, with a picture. Didn't you read it?" Romelle tried to keep her voice upbeat, as she asked. Sven thought about her comment, and remembered that she had sent him some kind of message, just before he left Crydor. However, he hadn't bothered to read it, thinking it was going to be instructions about the wedding. It came to him that no matter what, he seemed to find a way to goof it up.

"It must have come after I left Crydor." Sven decided that time with his son was more important than getting annoyed about the message. "I will have breakfast with you both, and then take Erik outside. I would though prefer somewhere else, besides that garden. Wasn't that the one that Allura was saying that Pidge did? It sounds too formal and fancy." The mention of the garden had made him think of dinner last night, which caused an annoyed look to come on his face.

"Erik just likes to be outside, so he will enjoy anywhere." Romelle told him, trying to control the nervous tremors she was feeling as she saw the expression on his face. Nanny had been watching the interchange between the couple, and had no problems reading between the lines.

"I let the kitchen know that Captain Holgersson will be joining you for breakfast, Your Highness. They will send up some extra food." The older woman announced, hoping the change of subject would be welcomed.

"Thank you Nanny! Sven, why don't you sit next to Erik?" Romelle asked in an almost too eager voice, hoping that the child would distract his father. Sven saw the round table, over by the window, where his son was already sitting. He could almost swear that Erik smiled at him, and he forgot about his annoyance, as he crossed over to sit down.

Romelle and Nanny exchanged a conspiratorial look, as Sven talked to Erik. It was several minutes later that there was a knock on the door, which Nanny answered. One of the kitchen maids was there, with a cart that had several covered dishes on it. She wheeled it in, and over to the table, as Romelle went and sat down across from Sven.

He looked up when he saw the food, and then watched as the maid uncovered the dishes and set plates of food in front of them. Sven tightened his mouth, hating the idea of being served his food. He wished he was sitting in his kitchen at home with Erik, while Romelle cooked them something herself. "I could have gotten my own food." He almost snapped at the kitchen maid, who looked at him with round apprehensive eyes.

"Sven, please." Romelle pleaded, as she turned to the young maid "It looks delicious; thank you for bringing it Melanie." The woman beamed at the Polluxian princess, admiring how pretty she was, and kind too. She didn't have the striking looks of Her Majesty, but it was apparent the two women were related. Melanie was looking forward to telling everyone downstairs about how Capt. Holgersson behaved towards her.

"Why can't we just have something simple in the kitchen?" Sven almost demanded, as he looked at the food nicely arranged on the plate, and garnished with some green stuff. Before Romelle could respond, Erik started to fuss, getting upset with Sven raising his voice. The next several minutes were spent with Romelle calming Erik down, while Melanie put coffee and orange juice on the table, as Nanny put together a plate of food for the child. Through it all, Sven glowered at his food, which was noticed by everyone. Melanie could hardly wait to get downstairs to regale the staff with this story.

"Sven, would you like to feed Erik?" Romelle offered, after Melanie and Nanny had left the nursery. She wasn't sure if she would be able to eat, with the way her stomach was in knots now. Her hands felt shaky too, which she didn't want her husband to see. Why couldn't he just accept the plate of food graciously, she wondered.

"Yes, if there is anything here he could eat." Sven looked at what Erik had on his special nursery plate with suspicion. Romelle inwardly sighed, as she waited for her husband's next complaint. This was bringing back all the memories of the time in that hateful house, with Sven alternating between being angry, and being moody.

"Why does he have a cup? Aren't you still nursing?" This was the problem with not living with his family, he decided; he had no idea what was going on with Erik. Sven saw Romelle's lips tighten for a moment, before she put the patient expression back on her face. It made him feel like she was humoring him.

"I am still nursing, but I am also weaning him. He is almost a year old now, and needs to start drinking milk from a cup." Romelle wondered how it would be received if she sent her husband a book on child development. Sven decided to concentrate on feeding Erik, seeing that he was going to get nowhere with his concerns. It struck him as unfair that Romelle could make any decision she wanted about Erik, and society went along because she was the mother.

"Did Keith ever come back last night?" Romelle asked, changing the conversation to lighten the mood. Sven looked at her like she had two heads, not knowing what she was talking about. He said as much, and he saw the tight set to her mouth again.

"Don't you remember Keith and his lady friend didn't make it to the after party?" Romelle suppressed a sigh, knowing that Sven had been at the table when they had the discussion.

"I don't keep tabs on Keith, Romelle. As far as his lady friend I really don't know what he sees in her." Sven had met Eimear, and had taken a dislike to her because of her title. He did see why Keith was now taking Romelle's side in everything, but he was surprised that his friend would go out with someone like Lady Ainsley. Romelle discarded Keith as a subject of conversation, and searched her mind for something they could talk about without Sven having a snit fit.

"I had the chance to talk to Hunk, who was telling me about his cousin playing on the earth football team. It looks like they will make it to the playoff; have you been following the team?" In truth she had no idea if Sven even knew about the team, but hoped that it would be a neutral enough subject.

"Professional sports are a waste of time! Do you know how much they charge to see the games? Honestly, I have better things to do with my time and money." Sven hunched his shoulders, having in fact heard about the game. Hunk, Pidge, and Chip had mentioned the playoff, and how they, and he, had been invited to watch from the private stadium box of some performer that Pidge knew. Sven could only imagine how much money it would really cost him to do it, since nothing was really free. He also didn't understand how someone so scientific like Pidge could know a music group that well.

By now Romelle had barely had two bites of her breakfast, due to how upset her stomach was. She took a deep breath and visualized Bandor asking her to get along with Sven until after the wedding on Odeos. Romelle also thought about her talk with Allura last night, knowing that her cousin was concerned about her happiness. Finally, she saw Fauk, sitting next to her, his hand lightly squeezing her thigh, as Sven was so impossible.

Romelle knew that everyone only wanted the best for her and Erik, and they all understood the situation with Sven. Drawing on every ounce of royal training she had ever received, she took a deep breath before she addressed her husband.

"I think Erik will enjoy spending time with you, Sven. Once breakfast is over with, what do you want to do?" Romelle inquired in a cool tone, as she added "I am only nursing three times a day, so until about lunch he should be set." She hoped that Sven would be thrilled to have a huge amount of time with his son. Romelle wasn't concerned about her husband trying anything, because Allura had privately assured her that the castle grounds were under constant surveillance.

"Oh, so you are going to go goof off?" Sven knew he should be happy to have the chance to spend the time with his son. He was though concerned about what his wife would be doing with her time, wondering if it included Prince Fauk.

"No, I am going to help sort through wedding gifts with Allura's social secretary. They have to be acknowledged, and I said I would help out. Larmina is rather overwhelmed!" Romelle explained, thinking about the eighteen year old girl, and the response to her wedding. She was sad because she had never ever experienced the level of happiness that Larmina had, with her bridegroom. They had not even taken a honeymoon, so it had been easy for her to deal with her wedding gifts.

"It is good of you to offer to help out." Sven replied; glad that his wife would be occupied with female pursuits. He wished he could figure out his feelings about Romelle. She made him so mad, fighting him at every decision, but the thought of anyone else spending time with her and his son made his haggerium laced blood boil. The rest of the meal passed in peace, the conversation being confined to Erik.

Once breakfast was done, Romelle excused herself, giving Erik a hug and a kiss. She walked out of the nursery, and down to her room, where she broke down in tears. She wasn't sure how much more she could take of Sven, and his cold disapproval. Romelle wanted to be back in Pollux, in her sun filled house with its cheerful decorations. She and Erik had happy meals that they laughed through, instead of one's filled with wariness.

It was around 10:00am and Prince Fauk was sitting on one of the tables on the terrace, finishing up a session with his prime minister, back on Odeos. The prince had done his work out, and then had breakfast outside while reviewing memos. He then had his first cigarette, a second cup of coffee, and set up the video session with Tsokas, his prime minister.

Now, he was done with the business of Odeos, so he lit a second cigarette and waited for his next visitor. Fauk did not see any incongruently in working out and smoking; as he had said before he was into pleasure, and both things gave it to him. As he took a second drag on his now lit cigarette, his ADC Markus came to the table. They reviewed the schedule for the day, along with the key people Fauk would interact with.

"What are the other guests up to now?" Fauk asked, liking to know everything that was going on. He was always willing to listen to gossip, knowing that most of the time it carried a kernel of truth in it. Markus knew the prince very well, and had come prepared.

"Her Highness Princess Elena and His Majesty are finishing up breakfast in the main dining room with Andrew and Claire McClain. Her Highness and Mrs. McClain are talking about maybe going shopping in town." Markus started his run down, and the prince smiled happily. The connection to Andrew McClain, which Bandor brought with him, was valuable. Fauk had explained to his sister about the need to curry favor with the head of the galaxy security council.

His sister was no one's fool, and he was proud of how he had raised her, since their parents had died. The main purpose of a royal princess was to make a grand match, and Elena had been brought up with that goal in mind. He had explained to her all about politics, as well as men and what they liked. What was the point of making a good marriage if it ended up unhappy, Fauk thought, so he had seen to it that his sister was well prepared by always being honest with her. She might be a virgin physically, but mentally she was not. He had no doubt that Bandor would thank him later.

"Her Majesty and the prince consort are having a private breakfast in their suite." Markus informed the prince, who nodded knowingly. He didn't blame Lance for wanting his wife all to himself, thinking about how beautiful Allura was. Fauk would have been very interested in her as a bride, if she had not had her own kingdom to run. He understood that someone who had been brought up to be a ruler would never relinquish the role easily.

"I also found out about Commander Kogane, as you requested last night." Markus stated, and Fauk remembered that he had sent his ADC a note about that last night. He looked expectantly at the man, waiting for the answer.

"It turns out that Lady Ainsley's son, His Grace, came down with a very bad fever. The commander spent the night helping her nurse the boy, who is now doing better." Markus told Fauk, adding the extra details that he knew the man liked to hear. The prince nodded his head, having talked to the lady in question. He already knew her story from one of the briefing memos that had been prepared for him, on the major players he would meet at the wedding.

"Markus, I think we should send some type of get well gift to the family." Fauk suggested, wanting to stay on Commander Kogane's good side. It sounded like the relationship was very serious, and the prince knew it wouldn't hurt to be on good terms with the head of the Voltron force and his wife. The ADC knew exactly how the prince's mind worked, and nodded his head.

"I was thinking of that myself. Would you like me to run into town and arrange for flowers and some kind of a model or puzzle to be sent?" Markus offered, and Fauk looked at him with pleasure.

"That would be a capital idea. I think I will suggest that His Majesty do something similar, as a good will gesture." Fauk had taken his future brother-in-law under his wing, seeing that the young man needed some guidance. He had already taken stock of most of the royal advisors on Pollux, and knew that some changes needed to be made. Once Elena was queen she would be able to help Bandor get his court in order.

"Your Highness, I have a piece of gossip for you from the servant's hall, concerning Princess Romelle and Commander Holgersson." Markus had saved the best for last, and he laid it carefully before the prince. He noticed how his employer's eyes gleamed, and was glad that he would be able to pass the information along before Fauk's valet did. Seeing the prince incline his head, the ADC got down to business.

"Her Highness was in the nursery to have breakfast with her son, as she does every morning. Commander Holgersson showed up unannounced, to see the child. My understanding is that Her Highness was very gracious, and invited him to have breakfast with them." Markus detailed the scene out, as Fauk nodded his head in comprehension. In his mind Romy was a saint to be as patient with the man as she was.

"The commander said yes, but then became upset about the food being served to him. He snapped at the kitchen maid, and announced that he would prefer to eat in the kitchen. The child became rather upset because of his father's raised voice, so Her Highness had to spend the time calming him down. The maid didn't stay during the meal, but said that when she went to get the dishes, nothing had been eaten from the princess' plate." The ADC knew that Fauk was very concerned about the situation with the Polluxian princess and her husband, not wanting it to impact Princess Elena. Both he and the prince's valet had been charged with keeping Fauk apprised of any happenings.

"Such a sad situation." Fauk sighed, pretending to be upset at the news. In truth he was thrilled, because that damn bastard was only digging his own grave.

"Tell me Markus, what is the general feeling about Princess Romelle and Commander Holgersson?" He asked, hoping he would hear what he wanted. He was also upset that Romy had not been able to eat any of her breakfast.

"People feel bad for Princess Romelle, because of the Commander's illness and how it causes him to act. There is still some loyalty to the Commander, because he was the Blue Lion pilot. However, his abduction of his son and his subsequent behavior on his last two visits to Arus has not done him any favors." The ADC explained, having talked to quite a few people since they'd been on the planet.

"Well, that doesn't sound good, now does it?" Fauk mused, continuing on with his act of concern "Did you find out why the man is down in the pilot's quarters, and not in a guest room?" He had heard all about Sven's room from his valet.

"My impression is that the Commander wanted to be close to his friends." Markus tried not to sound disapproving, but didn't succeed. He couldn't imagine being married to the beautiful princess and not wanting to be with her.

"Markus, make a note that when the couple comes to Odeos the Commander will have proper accommodation, as befits his rank. I doubt the marriage will be in any better shape by then, so we will put the couple in separate wings." Fauk went on to give his ADC several more instructions, while thinking about the talk he was going to have with Bandor. Sven had made it clear last night that he really didn't want to go to Odeos, but Fauk didn't want any more talk, especially with what he had planned out for Romy.

The ADC was not surprised that Fauk was going to take a hand in the matter of the Polluxian princess' marriage. The prince couldn't keep his nose out of anything, especially a family matter. Markus knew that Fauk had stated to his future brother-in-law that he should have had the commander arrested after the kidnapping. He had no problem imaging the advice the prince would give to His Majesty.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Author's Note: There are references here to events that happened in 'A Knight's Journey', but don't worry if you didn't read it. I have tried to make the overlap seamless, so you can follow the narration. **_

_**FYI - I couldn't find anywhere of Vince's official last name, so I made one up. If I somehow missed the information, I apologize in advance.**_

_**A Studied Request – Part One**_

Keith made his way up to Allura's study two days after Pidge and Larmina's wedding. Things were getting back to normal on Arus, after the government had been shut down for the wedding. The original plan was for only the day of the wedding, but Allura had added on another day. The excuse was that she was busy celebrating with her family, and thought that everyone else would want to also. He had not minded because he had been busy with Eimear and Aiden. The boy was feeling much better and didn't see why the doctor wanted him to rest anymore.

It had surprised him when Allura had sent him the memo the day after the wedding, about Sven and his condition. Keith had noticed, from the time stamp, that it had been written early in the morning, which made him wonder what she was doing up at that time. He soon left that thought behind, as he read what was in the memo. While it pleased him that someone else besides him was concerned about Sven, he had some misgivings with her proposition.

As he approached the study, he was reminded of his last meeting with Allura, after a memo he had sent her. It was back when he was still coming to terms with her and Lance and he had ended up very upset that Lance had cut into his time with Allura. He greeted Rigsby pleasantly, glad that everything had resolved itself like it had.

"Good morning Commander. Her Majesty is expecting you." The sentry replied to his greeting, adding "I was glad to hear that His Grace is doing better."

"Thank you Rigsby, I'll pass your good wishes along. He is ready to go, and doesn't agree with the doctor's orders that he rest another day or so." Keith told the man, not being surprised that the sentry knew all about Aiden being sick. He was touched at the concern the castle staff had shown about the matter. It came to him, not for the first time, how far he had come in dealing with his life.

When he entered the study he saw Lance and Allura sitting together on the sofa, holding hands. He was taken aback to see his friend there, and wondered if he would be taking part in the meeting. It was probably for the best he decided, after a moment's thought; Sven was going to need all of them if he was going to get better.

"Keith thank you for coming! How is Aiden doing?" Allura smiled pleasantly at him, and then offered him coffee from the service in front of her on the table. He also saw plates of pastries and mini sandwiches, but he declined. They talked about Aiden for several minutes, before she addressed why Lance was there.

"Please don't be upset, but I wanted Lance here for this meeting, Keith." She paused, looking slightly concerned "The suggestion in my memo came about because of our joint, and then individual experiences with Sven and Romelle the evening of the wedding." Allura stopped, glancing at Lance before she regarded Keith.

Nodding his head, he motioned for her to continue on with her story. He proceeded to hear about what had happened with the couple at the after party, and then Allura's conversation with Romelle. When she was done, Lance told about his conversation, in the pilot's quarters, with Sven, finishing up with the comment "Damn Viking has stopped the treatments, and is in bad shape!"

Keith sighed audibly, as the thought about what Lance and Allura had just told him, and now knew why Allura had sent the memo as early as she had. He also thought about his conversations with Sven, both after Lance and Allura's wedding, as well as the other day after Pidge and Larmina's wedding.

"I share your concern, because I have spoken to Sven on several different occasions, about the need for him to be a father to Erik." Keith paused, trying to figure out how to frame his question. He really wanted the answer to it, before he responded to Allura's suggestion. He also was curious as to who was really behind the idea; Allura or Lance? Deciding that the direct approach was best, he asked what he wanted to know.

"Allura, I read the memo and before I comment on it, I would like to inquire as to what you think the idea would accomplish?" Keith by now had sat down on a chair that was flanking the coffee table and sofa. He saw how the couple, still sitting close and holding hands, looked at each other, before Lance slightly indicated with his head for Allura to answer. It made him wonder what the conversation had been between them that had produced this idea.

"Even if Sven didn't have the haggerium infection in him, he is not in a good place right now. He is depressed because of his marriage and the situation with his son. He is also frustrated with Bandor and what is happening on Pollux. Being alone on Crydor he has too much time to brood on it all; if Daniel were there it would give Sven something else to think about. I would like to think that if Daniel was doing the treatment, it would get Sven to do them also." Allura stated her case, and Keith had to admit that it had some good points to it.

He told her that, as he went on "I think before this meeting goes any further, we should have Daniel and Vince up here." Keith saw that Allura was all set to interject but he held up his hand "If I agree to this, I want Daniel to understand what he is getting himself into. I also think we need to have Vince, both because of the mind link, and the fact that he can represent Pidge on the matter. If we do this, it will be interfering with Pidge's test protocol."

"Keith, I really don't see why we have to bring the boys in; I am not comfortable discussing my cousin's marriage with them." Allura was sitting up very straight, with her 'queen face' on as the team called it. Keith sighed, again, wishing he didn't have to say what he was going to.

"Allura, you might not want to discuss Romelle and Sven's marriage, but everyone else is. The rumors are flying, and if Daniel is going to spend time with Sven, he needs to know what the situation really is." Keith's voice was firm, not wanting to send the young man into the mess without warning.

"I was going to talk to Daniel after our talk, Keith," Lance responded, glancing at him before looking over at Allura "Keith is right though, Allie, Daniel needs to be here and we need to talk to him as an equal. Honestly, I don't think we will be telling him anything he hasn't heard already. The point about Vince representing Pidge is good also."

"If you think it is best." She declared, before she used the intercom to tell Rigsby to have the two cadets come upstairs. Once she finished with the sentry Allura peered at Keith "Exactly what are people saying about Sven and Romelle." She had really hoped that the couple's problems were not well known.

Keith sighed, yet again, as he weighed best how to answer her question. Most of what he had heard was just snippets that he'd picked up during the wedding reception. He wasn't sure if she really wanted to hear it, but then he decided that she had brought this on herself. "It is common knowledge that the couple isn't sharing a room, and the speculation is that it is because of what happened with Erik. Romelle is very well liked, and Sven's attitude toward her has been noticed."

It was Allura's turn to sigh, Keith noticed as she looked at Lance, who put his arm around her. By now he was used to how affectionate the couple was with each other, and it didn't bother him. Keith helped himself to some coffee, while they waited for the cadets to arrive.

Allura was in fact relieved that the only talk was about Sven's behavior, and the kidnapping of Erik. Those were all plausible reasons for the marital problems going on, and nothing really scandalous. She had been concerned about Fauk and her cousin, after the conversation she and Lance had had the other night. However, she now remembered talking to Fauk that morning, in the garden, and she was sure that he wouldn't want any gossip about him and Romelle. The man had never been alone with Romelle, or paid her undue attention, Allura reassured herself.

Down in the hanger bay Daniel and Vince were working with Hunk and Chip on a memory board. Vince was finding it weird how Chip was so much like Pidge, and yet different too. Daniel for his part was glad that Vince had something else to think about, besides his idol and his ex-crush.

"Cadet Chandler? Cadet Graham?" A holoscreen popped up in the hanger bay and the group saw the face of the sentry officer who sat outside Allura's study. "Her Majesty has requested your presence in her study right away." The man said a few more words, and then signed off leaving Daniel and Vince exchanging worried thoughts.

"What have you two been up to?" Hunk teased, as Chip laughed before suggesting several things. The cadets excused themselves to head upstairs, while Hunk and Chip went back to work, speculating about what the boys had done now.

'_Why do you think Allura wants to see us?_' Daniel mentally thought to Vince, who thought back _'I don't know; we haven't done anything to be in trouble over'_. Daniel smirked evilly _'it is not like she knows all the thoughts you have about Larmina and Pidge'_. Vince mentally sent him a string of curse words, while Daniel laughed in his head.

They presented themselves in front of Rigsby, who indicated for them to go in, and asked that they close the door behind them. They walked into Allura's study and looked around with interest, having not been in there before. The room had light wood paneling, with carved details, and was decorated in dark blue, different shades of gold and occasional touches of pink.

The whole effect was formal, but gracious and Daniel thought to Vince _'Larmina did a good job in here_', and Vince thought back '_Larmina decorates_?' Daniel snorted in his brain and thought _'if you ever bothered to talk to her as a normal person, and not your sex object, you would know that_'. The boys' thoughts were broken when they saw Allura and Lance on the sofa, with Keith in the chair. They became very worried about how much trouble they were in.

"Daniel, Vince thank you for coming. Please have a seat and help yourself to some refreshment." Allura greeted them, as she indicated two chairs that had been pulled up next to Keith. The boys were very puzzled now, because her voice sounded pleasant, and they were being offered food. Daniel and Vince each took several sandwiches, along with several of the mini pastries.

"You are up here because Allura would like Daniel to do something, and it would involve the experiment that Pidge is running on Sven with the haggerium treatment." Keith paused, and looked at the cadets who were hungrily eating the food. He waited until they were done, before going on "I want to stress that you are not obligated to do this, and if you refuse it will not be held against you. Also, after Allura has said her piece, I have several comments to give you before you decide."

'_Fuck it all dan-man, they want to send you on a secret mission_' Vince thought to his friend, who thought back '_then why are they talking about Sven?_' Vince proceeded to remind Daniel of where Sven was sleeping, and the reasons he had heard why. Daniel found himself longing for the old days with Vince, when he was still squeamish about sexual matters. Instead he looked at Keith and replied that he understood.

"I would like to say something, if I may?" Lance interjected, and Allura put her hand on his thigh while giving him a reassuring smile. Vince mentally wondered if they ever had sex on the couch, while Daniel gritted his teeth. '_Honestly, this is getting old_' he thought as he looked at Lance.

"No matter what your decision about the matter, Allura and I will rely on your discretion about what you are told this morning. The information concerns Sven and Romelle's private life and we don't want to see it on Entertainment Tonight. Do you understand?" Lance stated in a forceful manner, which made Allura look at him with admiration.

Keith thought it interesting that Lance was identifying with Allura's family, and was worried about their reputations. He then reasoned that he would feel the same way about Eimear's family, so he forgave his friend for sounding pompous. The mention of the program reminded him of the segment that the show had done on Allura and Lance shopping in Paris. The cadets though had no frame of reference and Daniel thought to Vince _'Isn't he His Royal Highness all of a sudden_' which caused Vince to snicker in his brain while mentally agreeing with the comment.

"Boys, once you are a member of the Voltron Force, you are always a member; that is important to remember. Sven Holgersson will always be our teammate, and as such we need to do everything to help him. He is not in a good place right now, partially because of the haggerium infection, but also because of personal issues." Allura went on to tell the cadets the entire story about Sven and Romelle, including all the details of the marriage breaking down.

Considering that she had not wanted to talk about the marriage at all, Keith gave her high points for how frank she was being with Daniel and Vince. However he remembered how she had always risen to whatever challenge had been thrown at her, never once complaining. Suddenly he was reminded of one of those old kaleidoscopes, which had been popular earth toys. You looked inside a tube and it was all blurry until you turned the end part of the tube and the design came into focus.

He now saw that he had the final piece of the puzzle, for how he had so consistently misread Allura. She was always the perfect princess in his mind, who needed to be protected and rescued. Keith realized that he had never given her the credit for the fact that she had rescued herself and her planet too. He felt very ashamed that he had never acknowledged what a great warrior and leader she was. He was reminded of the humbling he had received at the chapter house, as he looked at the great Queen of Arus; the sovereign he had pledged to serve with is life.

Keith's thoughts were interrupted by Allura's voice, as she started to tell Daniel what she wanted him to do.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Author's Note: The reference to how Pidge set Vince up can be found in chapter 10 of 'All The Right Moves', while the reference to Pidge's memo can be found in chapter 12 of the same story. The scene in chapter 10, with what happens to Daniel is rather funny, especially if you don't like the cadets. The back story of how Pidge discovered the 'herb' can be found in chapter 16 (first part) and chapter 21 (second part) of 'A Knight's Journey'. I am including these references because they are central to the current story.**_

_**A Studied Request – Part Two**_

"Daniel, I'd like you to go to Crydor with Sven when he leaves Arus, for several reasons. He needs to be doing the treatments for his health, first off. Then there is the issue that he should not, in his current mental state, be alone so much of the time. He needs human companionship, and he has mentioned that he doesn't want you to suffer what he is going through." Allura stated her case "I know that we are interfering with Pidge's experiment and I will take full responsibility for that. However, once he understands the situation, I think he will be on board."

Keith saw that the two cadets were trying to process everything they had been told, but he truly wanted his concerns to be heard. "In principal I am on board with what Allura is proposing but I have a very major concern about the matter." He announced with a serious note in his voice; seeing he had their attention "I know that so far the conversation has been about Daniel, but I need to hear from Vince about my issues."

Vince was shocked that Keith was addressing him as a major player in the dynamic of the haggerium infection. He had put up with too many comments about his 'magic thingy powers' and he wondered if the team took him seriously anymore. Coupled that with how he had gone along with Daniel wanting to hide his haggerium infection, and his hacking into Pidge's accounts for the supposed cure, well he had understood that his stock with the team was low.

"I have all of Pidge's test protocols, and the schedule that Sven should be following. Just so you are aware, the last data upload we had from Crydor was almost three weeks ago. I know that Pidge has tried to follow up with Sven, but has not received a satisfactory answer." Vince stated the information, remembering how annoyed Pidge had been. He now felt bad, because Pidge had told him about the problems with Sven's marriage after the trip to Pollux he had made, before the wedding. Until now he had not correlated that information with the test protocol, but saw that he should have.

Vince still remembered those months ago, when he tapping into Pidge's computer accounts to try to cure Daniel. His idol had known exactly what he was doing, and had set him up to fail so perfectly. He still cringed as he thought about Lance quoting the memo that Pidge had sent to Allura, about how Vince could not even follow basic science research procedures. He now pondered that Pidge might be right about him.

"Keith, I will do my best to answer your concern, but please remember that this is Pidge's experiment. It has been brought home to me that while my powers are great, I still have a great deal I need to learn." Vince announced, wanting them to understand that he might not be able to help them. Allura looked at the young man, having heard the note of uncertainty in his voice. She had never heard him doubt his abilities before, and if they were going to succeed they needed him.

"Vince, I think you know more than are giving yourself credit for. There is an old saying that the sign of great knowledge is being aware of your limitations. You are a very smart young man." Allura commented, and Vince saw what she was trying to do. He smiled at her in thanks, while Daniel was trying to process what was going on with his friend.

"I am very concerned about leaving two haggerium infected people alone, for a long period of time. While I've not seen the rages in Daniel, the possibility of it happening is there. Sven on the other hand is unstable at best and mentally disturbed at worst. He is physically dangerous when the haggerium takes over his body. I worry that Daniel could be hurt, or maybe even killed." Keith's voice had bluntness to it; because he wanted them know the danger.

Keith saw that he had everyone's attention, and from the look on Allura's face it was clear that she had not thought about how dangerous it could be. "Vince, I want to know just how likely something like that is to happen, taking into account that the coldness of Crydor, and the treatment on slowing down the effects of the haggerium." He had another question he wanted to ask too, but he wanted to know this first.

"The extreme cold of Crydor causes the haggerium molecules to suspend themselves, which neutralizes some of the effects. However, it doesn't change the makeup of them, or even get rid of them, like the treatment does. When we were getting regular data from Sven, Pidge and I noticed an almost ten percent decrease by the end of two months. It might not seem like much, but it was the first time we had seen anything that could destroy haggerium." Vince explained slowly, weighing his words carefully.

"It sounds like this treatment could be the cure!" Allura stated excitedly. She had not known that Pidge had seen those kinds of results. Another thought came to her "Was Sven not able to feel the difference? I would think that if he could have felt the results he would not have stopped the treatment?"

"Sven probably did not feel that different, because the haggerium has been in his body for so long. I know that Pidge was going to up the frequency of the treatments, to see if he could get faster results." Vince informed her, not wanting her to get her hopes up.

"Why did Pidge only want to do the treatment on Sven, and not on Daniel?" Keith asked, realizing that he had been out of the loop on this. It was probably discussed when he was in the morass of dealing with Allura, Lance, and Eimear, he mused. That caused him to wonder what else he had missed during that time period.

"Pidge actually tried a test treatment on Daniel, with good results. However, he wasn't sure if it was successful because of the treatment, or because the infection is not so advanced in Daniel. Pidge was also concerned about complications from the treatments." Vince made it a point to keep his voice calm, hoping that Keith wasn't going to ask the question that he was afraid he would ask.

"Vince, I've already stated that I will take full responsibility for the decision to include Daniel in the experiment. Pidge will be back in a month, and if at that time he feels like it is not a good idea, he can stop the treatments." Allura wanted to reassure Vince that she would bear the displeasure that Pidge would have.

"Maybe I missed the briefing memo." Keith reported, and then stopped. He knew that he was the only one who was careful about documenting everything, and he rather doubted that a memo about the treatment had ever been done. "Exactly what does the treatment or experiment involve? Daniel is under my command, and before I agree to this, I want to know what is involved." Keith didn't want something to come back and bite him later.

"Pidge discovered a hybrid herb that Admiral Hutchinson's son grows, in his hydroponic greenhouse. His grandfather was a science officer for the GA, and discovered a special type of magma rock on a planet. It has some kind of energy that causes the plants to grow faster, and it enhances their makeup i.e. fruits and vegetables taste better." Vince stopped, and clasped his hands tightly, hoping he remembered Pidge's instructions for this situation.

"A hybrid herb? And magma with energy?" Keith questioned, and Vince explained about the greenhouse, saying that the admiral's son liked to cross-breed plants as an experiment "I don't know what the original herbs were, because the guy doesn't keep good records." Vince thought it sounded credible enough for Keith, and he was glad that Pidge had prepped him so well.

"The guy gave us a piece of the magma, and several starter plants to work with. Once they are grown, we cultivate them, chop them up, and ingest them. Pidge left over a month's supply with Sven the last time he was there, and left me instructions to send more back with him when he returned to Crydor." Vince was holding his breath, watching to see if Keith had bought the story.

"You are telling me that Pidge is experimenting with an unknown substance, and letting Sven ingest it? And he tried it on a minor too?" Keith didn't know why he was shocked; thinking about some of Pidge's other schemes in the past. He had to trust that 'the great genius' as Lance referred to him, knew what he was doing. He also suspected that Pidge might have more information than he was letting on to Vince. The green lion pilot, he knew, had been very disappointed in Vince's behavior and actions with Daniel.

"Please don't take this the wrong way, Keith, but Pidge says that Sven is under a death sentence, and the longer the haggerium is in his system, the lower the prognosis for a good outcome." Vince intoned in a solemn voice, thinking about the discussions he and his idol had carried on. He noticed that Keith was taking his announcement in stride, but that Allura had turned very pale all of a sudden.

Lance noticed it too, and had felt her body stiffen next to his. He was tempted to go get her a glass of brandy or something, but decided she would probably not want to drink in front of the cadets. The wave of guilt washed over him, as he thought about how it could so easily have been him with the death sentence.

"Daniel, do you want to do this? Sven is not scheduled to leave for two days, so you can have some time to think about your decision. If you don't want to we will all understand." Keith reassured the boy as he looked at Allura and Lance, who nodded their heads. They watched as Daniel rose up from the chair and walked over to the French doors.

Daniel looked out as he thought about what he had just been told, and asked to do. Keith's comment about Sven doing him harm, and maybe killing him had hit him hard. They were asking him to be alone on a remote planet with someone who was not of sound mind. Vince's comment, about the death sentence was not new, but hearing him say it out loud to Lance and Allura made it seem even more real. As those thoughts were swirling around his head, he heard Vince's thoughts too.

He knew that he had forced Vince to go along with his idea to hide the infection, and that caused the fissure in Vince and Pidge's relationship. Vince doubting his abilities now was the end result of what Daniel had asked him to do, and the position he had put his friend in with Pidge. Daniel had also heard the rumors about Sven and Romelle, and was glad that Allura had told them the real story. It was sobering to realize that he could end up like Sven if the haggerium was allowed to rage in his system long term.

"Sven is not the only one under a death sentence, so am I!" Daniel turned back around and walked back over to the group. "I grew up reading about the exploits of the Voltron team, and how Sven was the greatest navigator in the GA. I am willing to give this a try, for both our sakes." His voice was firm and deliberate, and Keith nodded his head.

"I admire what you are doing Daniel, and will note that in your service record." Keith told the cadet, and then addressed everyone else. "I am going along with this, provided certain safe guards are put into place. Vince, I want you to check in with Daniel and Sven by comm link every 24 to 36 hours as weather allows. Also, once a week until Pidge returns, Hunk, Lance, or I will fly you to Crydor where we will do a hands-on assement of the situation. Finally, we need to have some kind of a code word for Daniel to use if he feels he needs to be pulled out of there fast."

Keith finished his list, and waited to make sure everyone understood, and then he turned to Daniel "Please understand that if at any time you feel threatened, or just feel like this is something you can't do, use the code word, ok?" Keith still had misgivings, and hoped that he had put enough safe guards in place. Daniel agreed, as did the other team members.

"Allura and Lance, I'll leave it to you to make the arrangements. I have a conference call with the GA authorities that I need to go participate in." Keith stood up and prepared to leave the room, saying as he did so "Daniel, I will want to talk to you one on one before you leave for Crydor. I will check my schedule and let you know the time." He then excused himself and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Once he was gone Lance turned to Vince "Nice explanation for the haggerium treatment you gave Keith. Where did that come from?" Lance had been afraid that when Keith started asking about the treatments the cadets would confess to the pot smoking, especially someone as upright as Vince. He watched as the boys exchanged smiles.

"Pidge warned us how anti-smoking Keith is anyway, and the pot issue would really push his buttons. He coached us on what to say if we were ever questioned, and I guess he might have warned Sven too." Vince replied, trying to contain his laughter. He thought to Daniel _'Lance doesn't know that we have heard the lectures Keith has given him about smoking'_. Daniel thought back _'I remember when you wouldn't smoke pot with the admiral's daughters and me. I'm touched you are going along with it now_'. Vince thought _'I'll go along with anything if it cures you'_.

"Daniel and Vince, you have shown me you have discretion, which will be very important in this matter. I also greatly admire you, Daniel, for being willing to go to Crydor. When I thought of the plan, I did not consider the danger you could be in. If you change your mind in the next two days, I will certainly understand." Allura reassured the cadets, very impressed with how they were handling everything. She also had to give Pidge high marks for having an explanation for Keith ready to go. Allura didn't want to bother him on his honeymoon, but decided she would write a memo updating him, marking it for delivery after he returned.

The cadets had smiled at her, and stood up to leave when she stopped them "Boys, you can tell Hunk and Chip about our plan, but only in private. I would prefer that no one outside of the team knows what is going on, or the fact that you are on Crydor with Sven. I will talk to Bandor about the situation myself, because he needs to be in the loop since Sven falls under his authority." Allura gave each young man a direct look, and they promised not to talk about it in public.

Once they left, shutting the door behind them Lance followed them and locked it. He then walked back over to the sofa and pulled his wife tightly against him "Allie, I love you! Right now let me hold you and love you." Lance murmured in her ear, and she melted against him as he pushed her down on the sofa.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Dinner Plans**_

His Majesty, King Bandor of Pollux made his way to the third floor of the Castle of Lions. His cousin had invited him to have dinner with her and Lance, and she had stressed that she only wanted him there. The tall, slight built king with auburn hair sighed internally, sure that the discussion was going to be about Sven and Romell.

Bandor did not want to have the discussion, and he was also upset that he had to miss dinner with Elena. Well, Elena and Fauk, since the prince kept his sister under a high level of chaperonage. Bandor found it irksome, considering some of what he'd heard about Fauk's private life. However, he knew that the rules were different for princesses, and his wedding was only six weeks away. Thinking about princesses made him think about his sister, and how the fact that she was a princess contributed to the situation she was in.

It was so long ago when his family had gone to Doom, where his older brother Avok had let the evil witch Haggar turn him into a robeast. Pollux was aligned with the Drule Empire, and King Coba wanted to bring down Voltron and conquer Arus for himself, while double crossing Lotor. In hind sight it was hard to say which idea was worse; his brother turning himself into a robeast, or his father trying to double cross the crown prince. When it was all over with, Romelle was Lotor's prisoner and Bandor had switched his loyalty to Voltron and the Alliance.

When Bandor had found out that Romelle was alive, and had managed to escape Lotor, along with the Pit of Skulls he took it to be a sign that Pollux would rise again. When she had come home, bringing Sven with her, an ex-Galaxy Alliance pilot, and member of the Voltron force he had been overjoyed. The attraction between the pair was very apparent, and Bandor had pushed Sven to declare his feelings.

He knew that his planet's defense forces would not have rebuilt so quickly if it had not been for Sven. He had taken the resources that Wade had given Pollux, in return for swearing loyalty to him and the Galaxy Alliance, and used those along with his knowledge to turn the Polluxian forces into a once again respected fighting team. Bandor and Romelle had rallied the people behind the restored royal house, while doing a great deal of groveling whenever Wade came to visit, which had been too often for their taste.

Four years after peace had been declared Sven was still on Pollux, and still 'courting' Romelle, while running the Defense Force for the planet. By that point Bandor had heard numerous comments on the relationship, and what was Sven's official position in the royal family. He remembered how he had previously had to force Sven to declare his interest in Romelle, and had decided that he would just have to step in again.

His decision to do so had caused more sleepless nights than he cared to remember, as the events had unfolded over the last year. Bandor felt guilty because his actions had put Romelle in the situation she was in, just like their father's actions had ultimately put her in the Pit of Skulls. In Bandor's opinion, at the end of the day none of the males of the Pollux royal family had done right by the princess, or protected her like they should have done. That was part of the reason why he respected Fauk for how he acted towards Elena, and went along with it.

Bandor pushed those thoughts out of his mind, as he arrived at the dining room on the third floor. Higgins the butler led him through the room, and out to the balcony, where Lance and Allura were sitting. They were already into cocktails, and offered him one, which he took gladly, hoping it would help the conversation. The next ten minutes were spent chatting about the wrap up from the wedding, and some good natured teasing about Bandor's upcoming nuptials.

"All I have to say is that you had better hope Elena doesn't have six names like my bride did! I was a nervous wreck trying to remember what order they were in." Lance observed with smile, as he took a final drag on his cigarette. Bandor replied that he didn't know how many names Elena had, which made Lance and Allura laugh. He realized it was good to be with his cousin and her husband, and liked how they understood him so well.

"I thought we could have dinner inside, but then come back out here for dessert, if the weather holds." Allura explained, rising from the table. Bandor had finished his drink, an earth cocktail known as a martini and was feeling a little happier than he had been before. They sat down at the table in the dining room that was done in greens and yellows, giving it a spring like feel. The light wood table was set with linen place mats, which showed off fine china, crystal, and silver. Higgins served their food and wine, before he left, closing the door behind him.

"Bandor, I think you know why we wanted to talk to you in private." Allura questioned him, after they had taken several bites of the dinner. He sighed audibly, and took a swallow of his wine as he looked up at her.

"It is about Romelle and Sven, right?" Bandor asked, as Lance and Allura nodded their heads.

"Have you talked to Sven at all?" Lance inquired, to see what, if anything, Bandor had done so far.

"Lately, I usually try to avoid talking to him because it goes nowhere. However, I am trying to avoid a major scandal before my wedding, so I read him the riot act after the reception. His behavior had not been good, and was only adding fuel to the rumors. I asked him to please make the effort to spend time with Romelle, and to treat her decently while we were all on Arus." Bandor paused, as he remembered the conversation "I finished my spiel by telling him that when the celebrations were over with he could take his fucking ass back to Crydor and freeze to death for all I cared. Probably not my best moment, but really, I'm at my wit's end!"

Lance looked at the young man with sympathy, as he thought about his conversation with Sven. He was willing to bet that once Bandor wasn't distracted with his wedding and honeymoon, he would give Sven his full concentration. Somehow he didn't think it would be a pretty outcome of the situation. Allura for her part wished Bandor had not told Sven what he had, but saw where the anger and frustration was coming from. Sven was like a rabid dog that was biting at everyone who wanted to help him.

"I was hopeful that my speech worked, because I saw him at the after party, sitting with you all, along with Fauk and Romelle, being social. It made the evening easier for me, because I didn't have to worry about Sven exploding and making a scene." Bandor divulged to them, but was taken aback when he saw the couple exchanging concerned looks.

Allura and Lance went on to tell him about the conversation at the table, and then their individual conversations with Sven and Romelle. By the time Lance was done, Bandor had completely lost his appetite. He pushed his plate away, but took his almost full wine glass and drained it in three large gulps.

"This is all because of me and my meddling that she is now in this position! I couldn't leave them alone; no I was just as bad as my father!" Bandor let loose a string of Polluxian curse words, and then added "The situation is worse than I thought it was. I'm almost tempted to cancel the wedding until everything stabilizes; but what if it doesn't? And honestly, Fauk would have my head and I love Elena! I want her with me on Pollux, and she has said she will support me in any decision I make about Romelle and Sven." Bandor finished up, looking sad, and very young.

Lance regarded Bandor, and then turned to look at Allura and thought it too bad that both cousins had been forced to deal with so much trauma and misery at a young age. He remembered Bandor as the little prince who they first met when they were breaking into the castle on Pollux. Now, the boy was a man, a man who was a king. Lance could also see that he was caring some guilt around with him. Not for the first time, Lance thought, the destruction the Drules caused in the galaxy was going to linger for a long time.

"Bandor, no don't cancel the wedding!" Allura declared in a horrified voice, not even wanting to think of the repercussions from that. "We have a plan that might help Sven, but we need to get your approval for it. Before I tell it to you, though, I want to ask you about Fauk. How much does he know about the situation, and if you don't mind telling me, what has he said about it and Romelle?" She was still worried about Lance's comment about Fauk causing mischief, as well as how Romelle had acted when she'd mentioned the prince's name to her cousin.

"Fauk thinks Romelle is a saint for what she is putting up with, and how she is trying to work with Sven." Bandor explained "At first Fauk didn't understand why I had not had Sven arrested and thrown in jail, but once I told him the story, and Sven's history he understood. He supports me completely in not wanting a scandal before the wedding. Fauk has even personally invited Sven to the wedding, to help keep the gossip in check." In fact Bandor had been relieved when Fauk had told him that, because he had felt the same way, but knew that Sven really didn't want to go to Odeos.

Allura pondered what Bandor had just told her, twitching her nose as she did so. Lance thought she looked adorable when she did it, but it meant she was deep in thought. In fact, she was trying to figure out Fauk's motives for his actions. On the surface it sounded like he just wanted to keep the peace and make sure that his sister's wedding wasn't spoiled. If he wanted to move in on Romelle, he certainly wouldn't want Sven there, Allura reasoned, wanting to believe what she was telling herself. What was stopping her though was Lance's warning, about what Fauk could do, if he set his mind to it. Her husband read people better than anyone else, and she had to give weight to his words.

"What is your idea for Sven?" Bandor waited expectantly, but without too much hope. He had already seen how the plan for Sven to stay on Crydor had not worked out. Privately, he almost wished he'd let the GA do what they had wanted to. He listened as Allura outlined what she, Lance, and Keith had talked about earlier that day. Bandor had to admit that it sounded like a good idea, and he was willing to go along with it since Keith had ok'd the whole thing. He did have to be reassured that Daniel and Vince could be trusted to keep their mouths shut though.

While Bandor was having his dinner upstairs, Elena and Fauk were having their own private meal in the sitting room of his state room. The McClain's had left early in the day, and Fauk had worked while Elena spent time with Romelle, helping her with the wedding gifts. It had been her brother's suggestion that she offer her services, and get some bonding time in.

"So your affianced is having a private meal with his cousin and her husband, right?" Fauk questioned, as they ate their food. He was curious as to what was going to be said, as well as what Elena had learned from Romelle.

"Bandor wasn't happy about it; he really wanted to eat with us. Plus, he said that the conversation would probably be about his brother-in-law. As you know, that is not his favorite topic." Elena replied to her brother, adding "He said depending on how late it is he will let me know what was said." In fact Bandor had wanted to come see her, but she knew her brother was not going to let that happen for propriety's sake. For all of his wild ways she knew that Fauk was very aware of the dignity of the royal house.

Fauk looked pleased with what she said "I will make sure I have breakfast with Bandor tomorrow morning. Also, of course I don't expect you to discuss your private conversations with me, but if there is anything critical you think I should know, please tell me ASAP, no matter how late it is." Fauk already knew that Bandor would tell him everything anyway, since he saw the older prince as support in dealing with the Sven matter.

"I understand brother dear! It is too bad that he has to deal with that unpleasant man; he has barely said hello to me. Whenever I've tried to talk to him, for family's sake, he brushes me off." Elena was not used to being put off by people, and she had not cared for the experience. "You know, Romelle is so sweet, and nice it is hard to see them as a couple." She commented, as she shook her head.

"Yes, that is right you spent time with Romelle today; what did she have to say?" Fauk was careful not to look too interested. He had been really tempted to stop by, under the guise of checking on his sister, to see Romelle. Being concerned about showing too much public attention to her, plus knowing there was no chance for mischief, he had decided not to.

"She really doesn't talk about the issue, Fauk, and I don't know if she would right now with me. Maybe down the road when I'm on Pollux and see more of it? Romelle comes across as a very private, very proud person. I did get her to talk about the days of rebuilding Pollux, and she mentioned how much work Sven had put in on the defense forces for her planet." Elena knew that her brother had been hoping for more information. She had seen right through his ploy about helping with the wedding gifts, but had gone along with his idea. There was nothing else to do, since Bandor had been busy with his old friends, and she wanted to see what kind of presents Larmina had received.

The golden haired prince smiled happily, which caused Elena to give him a questioning look. She had been expecting to be grilled on what the conversation had been. Fauk though was pleased because he liked how Romelle was behaving, especially with his sister. He admired how the woman never complained or whined about the circumstances she found herself in. It also showed that she knew how to keep her mouth shut, which would be important, Fauk thought. Romy so needed pleasure and fun in her life, he mused, and was looking forward to giving it to her.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Author's Note: The reference to Eimear, Aiden, and the Lindsey's all relate back to chapter 29 of 'A Knight's Journey'. Detailed information on Monk can be found in chapter18 of the same story. If I feel it is warranted to the current story, I provide information on where certain parts of the 'back story' can be found. It is not necessary to read it, but some people like to know who all the players are. The vodka in question is Ciroc! Thanks to KathDMD for introducing me to it.**_

_**Tea Cakes & Treason**_

Keith was in his office late morning of Sven leaving, drinking coffee, and waiting for his first visitor. He was also trying to figure out why he had been given the task that he had. It had been Allura's idea, which had come about because of the talks Lance and Allura had had with Sven. Keith had understood them needing his permission for Daniel's involvement, but didn't know how that turned into him overseeing the matter.

His thoughts were interrupted as his door opened with no warning, and Lance walked into the room with his usual swagger. "Good morning fearless leader!" He announced with a pleased smile, setting down his coffee cup, before he stepped aside to let one of the castle staff enter the room with a covered tray. Keith saw Lance looking around the room, before he walked over to the small table in the corner of the room.

"Honestly, you really need a bigger office, and I think you need to get Larmina to do some decorating here." Lance announced, as he moved the table closer to the desk, along with the side chairs that had been next to it. Once he was done, he indicated for the man to set the tray on the table, saying thanks as he left.

"I would get upset with you about entering my office without knocking, but it has never had any effect before. I do think that rearranging my furniture is a bit much; I like my office as it is. And why do we need a tray of food?" Keith lectured him in a stern voice, knowing that it was his doing that Lance was in his office. Once Allura had delegated the whole matter to him, he had decided to bring Lance in for moral support. Unfortunately Lance came with lots of other things as well.

"The door wasn't locked, so I don't see the point; we've talked about this before. We have also talked about your office, and its décor – or lack thereof." Lance replied as he sat down in the chair opposite the desk, angling it to face the table and chairs he had repositioned, going on "The food is for Daniel and Vince, who will be hungry, because boys are always hungry, if you remember us? Plus, the fact that you are sending him to an icebox with a maniac; well the least you can do is feed him."

Keith took exception to that statement, saying "Excuse me Lance, your wife came up with the plan, and then dumped it in my lap." His friend laughed, as he started to rearrange the items on the desk. By now Keith didn't even try to stop Lance, knowing it would be futile.

"Feeling a little aggrieved about that, huh? Keep in mind that she did deal with Bandor for you." Lance observed smoothly, as he poured oil on the troubled waters "She felt that the proposition coming from you would be better received, than coming from her. Sven is rather down on all things royal lately – actually he is rather down on everything." Keith had not looked at it from that point of view, and saw the logic in it.

"How did Bandor take the idea? Were you there?" Keith decided to change the subject, realizing that it didn't matter now. He was also rather curious as to Lance's involvement with Bandor. His friend had on more than one occasion referred to the auburn haired king as a pompous ass, but then that was before he married said ass's cousin, Keith amended in his mind.

"Yes, I was! We invited him, only him, up for cocktails and dinner last night. I poured a strong martini down his throat, and then Higgins served him dinner with lots of wine. Allie let him get nice and relaxed before she sprang the idea on him. He was all for it, being very concerned about how Sven's behavior could affect his wedding." Lance paused, and then with a rueful smiled added "He also feels rather guilty about pushing Sven and Romelle together." He had not realized until last night, when Bandor had told them, the part he'd played in getting the couple together.

Keith was sidetracked for a bit at the mention of cocktails and dinner, because he'd never been invited up to Lance and Allura's private quarters. Maybe now that he was with Eimear, and working on being friends with Allura, an invitation might eventually come his way. Lance did make good martinis, Keith knew from personal experience. He swore by this French vodka, Cir something, and it did make the martini taste very good.

"Well, I don't think Bandor should feel too guilty, we all saw how Sven looked at Romelle, and she certainly had feelings for him. I actually spoke to her at your wedding, and I think she still has some for him, but the thing with Erik will be hard to overcome." Keith observed, feeling sympathy for the young man. When he had first been crowned king he had become very impressed with himself, but Keith had now noticed that Bandor was doing better, probably because of Elena. That made him think of something else, so he mentioned it to Lance.

"Bandor seems close to his soon to be brother-in-law; do you know his opinion on the situation?" Keith had seen that Prince Fauk was every inch a royal, but the few times he'd talked to the prince the man had come across as very sharp. Keith wondered how he felt about his sister marrying into the mess that was going on. There was also the issue of the auxiliary planet bases that were going to come under alliance control because of the marriage.

"That man worries me, Keith! According to Bandor he is all supportive, and doing the whole happy family act. However, I think Fauk really wants to put the moves on Romelle and would have no problem pushing Sven off a cliff, metaphorically speaking, to do so." Lance shared his thoughts with his friend, but did not mention what Allie had told him about Romelle's reaction to her query.

Keith processed what Lance had just said, and then remembered a comment he'd overheard at the reception. "Lance, are you sure she is his _type_?"

His friend looked at him with interest "Fearless leader, are you listening to gossip? I am ever so impressed!" Lance in fact was almost blown away that Keith would know about Fauk. "My understanding is that the prince is shall we say equal opportunity? For all I fucking know, the guy is into horses too – he does spend a lot of time in the stable." Lance rather doubted the bestiality, since Fauk seemed pretty busy with the human species, but it raise a few points.

Keith groaned, sorry now that he had brought the subject up. Lance liked nothing better than talking about sex and it sounded like the Odeon prince's exploits could be his next favorite subject. "Lance, do you have a travel service you use on earth?" He hoped to divert his friend's mind, and he succeeded.

"Are you telling me that the ice queen has agreed to go to earth with you? Of course, after you sat up all night with her sick child, it is the least she could do. Where are you going to take her? Do you remember our talk about women liking to be wined and dined?" Lance's eyes were shining with eagerness, and for one moment Keith was tempted to switch the conversation back to Fauk. However, he needed help with the trip, and Lance was the best person to ask.

"We are going to go to Yellowstone, and then to Napa. Eimear is thinking about planting vineyards and opening a winery on one of her estates, so she wants to see some operating ones." Keith explained, and waited for Lance's reaction.

"Very nice, other than that bit about working, but after all it is you two." Lance observed, and Keith wondered what he meant by the phrase 'you two'. Before he could ask though, his friend continued on "Nice little cabin in the woods, a fire in the stone fireplace, Keith my man way to go! What about Aiden?"

"Actually his school is getting ready to go on break, and since he and Renson are such good friends, the Lindsey's invited Aiden to go with them to the country." Keith had been worried that Eimear would not want to leave her son so soon after being sick, but since the Lindsey's had invited him she felt better about it.

"You had better hope that Monk is not around, or those boys will get quite the education." Lance stopped, and thought about the scene in the vestibule at Pidge and Larmina's wedding. "Actually, it is probably too late by now!" He laughed, thinking of Keith dealing with a miniature Monk.

"I really don't want to think about that, please." Keith shook his head, before he got back to the original subject "Can you send me the name of the travel service?"

Lance brought up a holoscreen, and with a couple of quick touches announced "Done! Oh, do you need the name of my jeweler too? Tiffany is really the way to go, but Pidge likes Garrard better." He made an mmm sound "It's pretty incredible to think of how far Pidge has come! His first apartment on earth only had a bed, sofa, bar, and the largest fucking game and sound system we'd ever seen."

Keith didn't realize at first what Lance was talking about, until he figured out that it was during the period he was on the lam. It reminded him that all of his friends had five years they had shared together that he would never be part it. "I'll give the travel service a call, and leave it at that for now." He told Lance, not wanting to dwell on those five years, or where his relationship with Eimear might go.

There was a chime at the door, and Keith pressed a button on his desk which slid the door open. The cadets stood there, Daniel with a little less bravado than what he usually displayed. Keith and Lance both noticed it, and they wondered if Daniel was having second thoughts. In Keith's mind, the boy should be having third and forth thoughts! He was also starting to regret going along with Allura and Lance's plan, as he realized that at the end of the day it would be his head on a platter if something happened to Daniel.

That brought his mind back to where it was before Lance came in, who he pointedly looked at while speaking to Daniel and Vince "Hello boys, thank you for knocking. It is such a lost art." Lance's face took on a 'who me' look, and Keith wondered why he even bothered.

"Daniel, Vince, come sit down and eat!" Lance said heartedly, as he indicated the table and chairs. Vince regarded elaborate display of sandwiches, and tea cakes with interest, thinking to Daniel '_boy, talk about fattening the sacrificial calf'. _

"Actually, I'm not very hungry." Daniel announced, thinking about the cold ball of fear in his stomach. Lance was all set to comment about how he would be after the treatment, kept his mouth shut, remembering that Keith didn't know what the hybrid herb was.

"Daniel, you are under no obligation to do this, please understand. Nothing has been said to Sven yet, and if you don't want to participate we will all understand." Keith stated very vehemently, his gut making him want to order the boy not to do it. Only the comment about the death sentence kept him quiet.

"Thank you Keith, but I want to give it a try. If Pidge and Vince don't find a cure, I really have no life ahead of me." Daniel replied simply, wishing there was another alternative. Or least that he could smoke pot with the admiral's daughters instead of the haggerium infected manic with marital problems. Only the thought that he could end up exactly like Sven pushed him forward.

The next ten minutes were spent going over the safety protocols, including the stun gun that Daniel was going to take with him. Vince had done his best to adjust the settings, taking the haggerium into account, but the element was so unstable that he was forced to admit that it was a ! #$% if it would work or not.

Keith was still getting used to all the changes in Vince, after his stay at the Arusian military academy, and had to privately admire his proficiency with swear words. Only Lance could probably swear better, other than Pidge, but that was just because the Green Lion pilot knew more languages.

"Now that we are done with safety, I need to talk to you boys about matters that could come up while Daniel is on Crydor." Keith stopped, wanting to make sure that he had everyone's attention, including Lance. His friend might be the prince consort, but Keith was still the GA representative for the Voltron Force.

"What I am about to tell you is very high level knowledge, and not to be shared outside of this room; is that clear?" Keith's voice had raised an octave, catching everyone's attention.

"When Sven took Erik from Pollux, he didn't kidnap his son!" Keith disclosed and they all looked at him bafflement. He carefully counted his breath for five seconds, wanting as much impact as possible. Daniel and Vince had to understand what was at stake. Keith really wasn't concerned about Lance because his friend at the end of the day was married to the cousin of the King of Pollux.

"He kidnapped the Crown Prince of an Alliance planet." He had been perplexed that Allura had not touched on what he was about to, but decided that maybe she didn't get the memos that he did.

"Until Bandor has a son, Erik is the next in line for the throne. Sven's action is considered a treasonable offense under the Galaxy Alliance." Keith definitely had their attention now "There is also the matter that he was negotiating with Lotor and Maahox to give them the Blue Lion. Lotor and Maahox are sworn enemies of the Alliance, and both have prices on their heads. Sven's consorting with them is another treasonable offense under the GA."

"Keith, what does that have to do with the boys? Bandor already dealt with the GA authorities, and received permission to handle it as family matter, provided Sven stayed out of trouble." Lance interjected and Keith's eyes widened as he heard what his friend had just said. Obviously he saw that Allura had known about the GA's actions, and had told Lance. It made him aware that that his friend had access as good as his, maybe even better.

'_Why does Keith look surprised at what Lance said? He was just telling us?_' Vince thought to Daniel, who mentally smirked in Vince's brain '_Keith thought only he knew about the GA and Sven, and is shocked that Lance does also. You heard Keith's comment that this was high level information, not something Lance should know_'. Vince digested Daniel's remarks and then thought back '_Well, but Lance is married to the Queen of Arus! He probably knows more high level stuff than Keith does_'. Daniel flashed one word in Vince's brain '_BINGO_'! Vince now understood Keith's reaction.

"Lance is right, Bandor dealt with the GA authorities, to protect Romelle, who at the time was being treated for depression. However, the GA has not forgotten what Sven did, and still has the arrest warrant drawn up." Keith continued on, setting aside thoughts of Lance "Daniel, while Sven is behaving himself now, he is not considered trustworthy, especially in his mental state. If you see any evidence, and I mean even one tiny crumb, that he has been in contact with Lotor and Maahox, or that they have been in contact with him, you to get out of there as fast as you can."

"Keith, do you really think Sven would risk everything, again?" Daniel asked with trepidation, thoughts of Lotor looming large in his brain.

"Sven is a desperate man, who is on the verge of losing his wife and son. Desperate men are dangerous anyway, and with the haggerium infection, he is even more dangerous." Keith replied, and then after taking a deep breath "There is one more thing you need to be aware of." Daniel was almost afraid of what was coming next, but he gave Keith his full regard.

"If, at some point, the GA decides to bring Sven to trial, you could be called to testify because of the time you are going to be spending with him. I know that you boys have not been commissioned yet, but when you entered the academy you sore allegiance to the Alliance. It will be your duty to testify if called to do so." Keith sat back, and waited for the full impact to set in.

Lance had seen the surprised look on Keith's face when he had made his comment about Bandor dealing with the GA officials. It no doubt brought home to Keith the position that Lance had now, with Arus and the GA. Their friendship was slowly starting to get back on track, and he hoped that this wouldn't come between them. Lance was also having serious second thoughts about Allie's plan, as he listened to Keith. When she had suggested it, the premise had seemed simple, but he could see the flaws and dangers. There was also the fact that they were meddling in one of Pidge's experiments.

"Boys, everything Keith has told you is true, and if you don't want to do this, please say so now. When we came up with the idea, all the ramifications had not been thought out. Allura, Keith, and I will all understand if you want to turn it down." Lance's voice had urgency in it, and Keith gave him a sharp look. He was sure now that Allura had been the main instigator, and Lance had gone along either to keep her happy, or because of guilt. Neither one had really thought about the dangers involved.

'_Dude, I think you need to listen what they are saying! This is not the only way to go, Daniel. When Pidge gets back you can ask him to let you do the treatments_' Vince thought in his friend's brain. Daniel was touched, and worried, that Vince was scared for him. The course though was clear; he had grown up reading up the brave exploits of the Voltron team.

"Keith, thank you for telling me everything and I am aware of the risks involved in going forward. However, I am not changing my mind, I want to do this." Daniel declared with conviction, which made Keith and Lance look at each other with resignation.

"Let me get Sven in here, so we can tell him all about this grand plan." Keith replied with sarcasm, looking directly at Lance.


	10. Chapter 10

_**KathDMD: Yes, Lance is a good man! He has proved it many times over in the five years he worked with Wade, standing by Allura, and helping Keith. In this chapter he shows what a good friend he is to both Keith and Sven!**_

_**Warning: Graphic language ahead!**_

_**Lowering The Boom**_

Sven was in the small room he had been staying in, packing his one bag and getting ready to leave. He had received the message from the spaceport that his ship was fueled and ready. Sven ground his teeth as he wondered if Bandor had personally supervised the procedure, to make sure he left. He was more than ready to go, but it had been hard saying goodbye to Erik earlier that morning.

After the nasty breakfast in the nursery, he had started asking Nanny to bring Erik to him in the garden. Sven hated dealing with her, because he didn't think a servant should be raising his son. However, if he had to choose between her or Romelle, he was going to take Nanny. It bothered him that everyone thought he was the problem, and Romelle so blameless.

He was also upset about how Romelle and Erik were getting back to Pollux. He had been drinking coffee in the mess hall yesterday when he'd heard about the broken hyper drive on the Polluxian transport craft. Listening further, he found out that a replacement was not available on Arus, and would need to be ordered from the plant on Selint.

The mechanics had been concerned because they did not want to upset His Majesty, the King of Pollux. When Sven heard that he had wanted to roll his eyes, but the next comment was the one that pushed his buttons. The Odeon prince had come to the Polluxian party's rescue, and offered them a ride back to Pollux on his ship. Sven had sat there and listened to the mechanics talk about how luxurious the prince's craft was. He hated the idea of his wife and son on board Fauk's ship, but knew that he couldn't do anything to stop it.

The bag was all packed, and Sven was trying to decide if he wanted to leave before Fauk and company did, or after. There was the issue of saying goodbye to Romelle too, and whether he should even bother. Sven knew that the last two days she had either been with Erik, or helping with Larmina's wedding gifts. Nanny had mentioned that Romelle and Allura had lunched together, in the private dining room. He had no doubt he had been the main subject of conversation.

Romelle was his wife, but no one cared that she wasn't acting like it. Instead he was the one that was reprimanded by his twerp of a brother-in-law. He found all of her talk, about how they should get to know one another better maddening. They were married, and what else was there to know? Sven debated going to say goodbye, not sure that she would even care at this point. He was so deep in thought that when the holoscreen popped up it startled him.

Reaching up to touch it, he saw the face of one of the castle security officer's, asking him to come to Commander Kogane's office right away. Sven acknowledged the message, and after making sure the screen was shut down he let loose a string of Norwegian curse words. He had not seen Keith since the wedding, and really didn't want to listen to him lay the guilt on about Erik.

If not for the time with Erik, he would have been sorry that he'd even come to Pidge's wedding. Sven had not planned on attending at all, after his experience at Lance and Allura's wedding. However, his old teammates had all come to Crydor and asked him personally to come. It had meant a lot to him that they'd done that, plus it had gotten Bandor off his case about attending.

Sven had thought that staying down in the pilot's quarters would give him plenty of time with his friends, but it hadn't worked out like that. Lance was married and sleeping on the third floor, Keith was busy with his lady friend and her son, while Pidge was busy with Chip, Hunk, and the wedding. They would have been glad to have had Sven's company, but he felt like a third wheel, since they all had girl friends. There was also the issue that Bandor was spending a great deal of time with them, and the last thing Sven wanted was more of his brother-in-law.

Sven arrived at Keith's office and rang the chime, waiting for the door to open. When it did he was taken aback to see Lance, Daniel, and Vince there also. He started to worry about what was going to happen next. Sven thought about the visit that Lance had made to his quarters the other night, and how he had reacted. Daniel he knew was suffering from the same infection that he was, and that Vince was working with Pidge on a cure.

"Sven, thank you for joining us. Please have a seat, and help yourself to some coffee." Keith greeted his old friend with a smile, as he indicated the chair and the coffee. At the back of his mind he had been wishing he hadn't gone along with this idea, but looking at Sven now he decided it was for the best. The man was drawn and thin looking, while his eyes were puffy with bags under them from lack of sleep. Allura was right to suggest this, Keith thought, no longer upset about her dumping it in his lap.

"There might even be some food left if the cadets haven't scarfed it all up!" Lance teased, "Do you remember when we were at the Academy, and all the food we would eat?" He was hoping that by reminding Sven of their long history together it would put him in a better frame of mind.

"I am not hungry, and I was just getting ready to leave; my ship is all fueled and waiting for me." Sven stated simply, feeling outnumbered and claustrophobic in the small room.

"That is what I want to talk to you about, Sven. Please sit down." Keith's voice took on a note of command that everyone in the room recognized right away. Sven narrowed his eyes, but sat down, looking like a soldier about to be taken to task. He could feel the haggerium starting to get going, and he tried to stay calm and remember that Keith and Lance were his friends.

"Sven, I am going to be blunt with you, because I don't see any other way. You are not in a good place, either physically to mentally right now, and shouldn't be alone. There is also the haggerium poison in your system, which is both causing and exacerbating your problems. Because of all that, I am requesting that Daniel go back to Crydor with you." Keith saw Sven all set to interject, but he cut him off.

"He will go back to Crydor with you, and you will resume Pidge's treatment plan, which Daniel will do with you. Vince will monitor the progress by comm link, and once a week will come visit you on-site with one of us along." Keith summed up his decision in a firm voice, which turned slightly softer "Sven, Daniel, and Vince are aware of everything that is happening in your life right now. I told them because if Daniel is with you, he needs to be aware of your mental state and what is causing it."

The Viking had been slumped in his chair, as he listened to Keith. Now hearing that his friends had discussed his personal problems with two cadets and that he was being ordered around like one of those boys was too much. He stood up and let loose with a string of curse words in Norwegian that echoed off the walls of the small office. Sven turned toward the door as he was cursing, and finished his rant in English "I will not sit here and listen to this, and you can't tell me what to do!"

Lance had been shocked at how bad Sven looked, thinking it was even worse than the other night. He was also still having guilt feelings about the fact that it was because of him that Sven was in the state he was in. The guilt that Bandor was carrying around was easy to spot, because Lance had the same guilt, but for different reasons. The Polluxian king was dealing with it by losing sleep, while Lance's was causing him to smoke more. Thinking about how helpless he had felt, after the conversation in Sven's quarters, something snapped in Lance.

"You god damn will stay here and listen to it!" Lance's voice boomed around the room, as he went on "Sit your stupid fucking ass back down on that fucking chair. Yes, Keith can tell you what you fucking will do – Bandor has ok'd it! Quite frankly, your one damn lucky asshole! The only reason you aren't in a GA prison is because of him; I suggest you remember that. I always knew that you were a cheap, stubborn bastard, but I didn't think you were a stupid, selfish one too!"

Sven had stopped mid-step and regarded Lance with apprehension when he'd uttered the first sentence. His old friend continued on, condemnation in his voice, as he said what he did, Sven felt like he'd been hit with a stun gun. Daniel and Vince, remembering Lance's reaction outside of sick bay, all those months ago, knew that the Red Lion pilot was a force to be reckoned with when his temper was up.

The Viking sat back down in the chair, figuring that Lance would push him into it if he didn't – he knew Lance's temper too well. Sven had heard from his friend on more than one occasion about his cheapness and stubbornness, and based on how everyone was treating him, he probably was stupid he reasoned. However, he took exception to one word that Lance had thrown at him.

"You stuck up bastard, what do you mean I'm selfish?" Sven lunged out of the chair and leaned over into Lance's face. Daniel and Vince were wondering if they would have to restrain the man here and now, and Daniel reached for the stun gun. Lance though took care of the situation for them.

"I told you to sit your fucking ass down on that fucking chair! What part of that did you not understand?" Lance stood up to his full 6'3 height and got right back into Sven's face as he swore. The Viking looked up at his friend, saw the fury in his eyes, and sat back down very quickly. He knew that Lance would punch him without a second thought. Sven looked over at Keith, who was sitting there doing nothing.

Keith for his part was letting Lance run things now, it being part of the reason why he'd invited him to the meeting. Lance had never taken any crap from Sven when they had been roommates at the Academy. Lance was there for moral support, and to provide physical and verbal enforcement if needed. Keith had rather suspected it would be, and the Red Lion pilot had come through.

"Selfish, yes I said you were selfish! I also said you were stupid, but you're not arguing about that, I see!" Lance gave him a scathing look, "You have a son who needs a father, in case you have forgotten! However, you are not acting like a father at all, since you are willing to turn your back on him and die, because you aren't getting your way! All you've done is whine about how unfair everyone is being to you, and never once thought about what you are doing to them."

"But Romelle and Bandor are." Sven's voice took on a strident note, wanting his friend to hear his side of the story.

"Shut the fuck up! Romelle is trying to give your son a stable life, and Bandor is just taking care of his sister! And why are they having to do your job? Because Mr. fuck it all I'm always right, my way or the highway, you let them down." Lance's voice was full of scorn, "You say you don't want someone else raising your son, but your actions certainly indicate otherwise. Your son needs you to make every effort to be in his life, and to live as long as possible. Don't you want him to be proud of you, and respect you?" Lance was practically shaking as he finished talking, and he'd never wanted a cigarette so badly in his life.

Sven sat in the chair slack jawed, as he thought about what his friend had just told him. He had only seen everything from his point of view, not realizing that other people saw his actions differently. It shamed him to be told that Bandor was acting more like a man than he was. Lance had always known how to hit below the belt, Sven remembered now. He glanced over at Keith, and the cadets, who were all regarding him like a bug he felt. However, he wasn't going to down without a fight.

"And what if I don't agree to this plan?" Sven asked in an aggrieved tone, still hating the idea of being told what to do. When he saw the cold, calculating smile on Keith's face he was very sorry that he'd tried to have the last word.

"Well, that is certainly your choice Sven." Keith tilted his head, as he went on in a level voice "Lance made a very good point, but I don't know if you really heard it or not. Your actions in kidnapping the Crown Prince of Pollux, and consorting with Maahox and Lotor were acts of treason against the Galaxy Alliance. There is a warrant for your arrest that was issued at the time, just in case you weren't aware." Keith stopped, and sat back slightly, while keeping the cold smile on his face.

'_Wow, I've never seen Keith act like a bad ass before, he is really turning the screws_' Vince thought, and Daniel replied '_you don't get to be Black Lion's pilot and head of the Voltron Force by being soft'_.

"Once we located you on Crydor I had a message from the GA, requesting that I take you into custody. However, your brother-in-law, who you resent, pleaded with the authorities to let him handle it as a family matter. Lucky for you they said yes, with the condition that you behaved yourself." Keith knew he should feel bad for what he was doing to Sven, but the man faced certain death if he didn't get back on those treatments. Lance's words about his responsibility to Erik had hit Keith hard, because of growing up without a father.

"Lance, since you are my second in command, I would like your opinion on whether Commander Holggerson has behaved himself while on Arus? Of course, your position as Prince Consort of Arus will give your opinion extra weight." Keith had turned to Lance, "The way I see it, if we think the Commander has not behaved himself, we can turn him over to the GA. Unless of course Bandor would object?"

Lance's face took on an evil smirk as he thought about what Keith had just said "Somehow I don't think Bandor will have a problem with us turning Sven over to the GA." It had been a long time since Lance and Keith had worked together, as they used to so long ago, and it felt good. He knew that Keith was feeling the same way by the look they exchanged.

Sven let loose another string of Norwegian curse words, but this time they weren't spewing out with as much venom. When he finished he regarded Keith and Lance with loathing as he announced "Fine, I'll do what you want! My son is not the fucking crown prince!" That riled Sven, and only the thought of Lance kept the Viking in his chair, but he did add "Just so you know Keith Kogane, you are a bigger bastard than Lance is!"

"Sven, how nice of you to say that!" Keith smiled pleasantly at his old friend, as he added "I will look forward to you being around next year to tell me that!"

'_Do you think you could get Sven to teach you how to swear in Norwegian like he does? That is awesome!_' Vince thought to Daniel, who sighed in his brain '_Well, it's not like I'm going to have too much else to do. It will be either that or listen to him whine about his marital problems'_. He heard Vince think back '_at least he won't be talking about sex; when do you think the last time he did the deed was?_' Daniel groaned inwardly, tired of hearing about sex all the time from Vince.

"Daniel, why don't you go get your bags, and we'll walk you out to the spaceport!" Lance suggested, thinking it would give him time to go have a cigarette. He had definitely earned it he decided, as Keith gave him a grateful smile.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Here is a chapter for all of Fauk's fans!**_

_**All My Bags Are Packed**_

Romelle was at the spaceport, but had not boarded the Odeon ship yet. Nanny and Erik were already on board, and she knew that she should be getting along also. Even though it had been a good visit to Arus, she was ready to go home. The wedding had brought home what her wedding wasn't and the sad state of her life right now. That breakfast with Sven had been almost too much, and only the memory of Fauk at the dinner helped her through it.

She had been relieved that Sven had started having Nanny bring Erik to him, removing the need for her to deal with him. Romelle kept Bandor's plea in mind, to keep the peace with Sven, so she gave him lots of access to his son. Erik was with him in the mornings, until lunch, and then Sven took him again after his nap, until dinner.

Where Sven ate she didn't know, and really didn't care either. Romelle had been busy helping with Larmina's gifts, and spending time with Allura and Elena. She would have been happy to spend time with Fauk too, but didn't want any gossip to happen. Elena was a lovely girl, and she was so happy that Bandor was marrying her. Romelle had been concerned about her relationship with Allura, after their conversation the night of the wedding and the reference to Fauk.

When Allura had invited her to a private lunch yesterday, she had been concerned that her cousin was going to bring the subject up again. Romelle was surprised when she found out what Allura wanted to talk about, which was Sven and the haggerium treatment. It had cheered her that Sven would be getting some help, feeling like anything that would make him easier to deal with would be good. Allura had confided that Keith and Lance were going to make sure Sven followed through. Her cousin also told her that she would stand by her, no matter what.

Standing in the spaceport now, she wondered if Sven would come say goodbye to her. She had gone down to the room he was staying in earlier, but had been told he was in a meeting with Keith. Romelle sent him a note saying she had stopped by to say farewell to him. She didn't add anything else, not really being sure what else to put.

"Your Highness?" A holoscreen popped up, and she heard a female voice hailing her. Romelle reached up and touched the screen, and a woman in a GA uniform appeared on the screen. "Your Highness, Sgt. Reed here. You had asked about the status of Commander Holggerson's craft, and I have the information for you and His Majesty."

Romelle had used the excuse of Bandor wanting to track the Polluxian craft that Sven flew to contact the space traffic tower. She smiled at the woman now and inclined her head, waiting for the information. What she heard caused her to suck her breath in so hard her stomach hurt.

Fauk was entering the waiting room of the spaceport, pleased at how this trip to Arus had worked out. Allura and Lance had welcomed him like an old friend, and Romelle had, he knew, enjoyed his company. He had also been thrilled with how Sven had behaved, blotting his copy book so well. Bandor had told him about the latest plans for Sven, and the cadet to go back to Crydor with him. Fauk had to wonder what the cadet had been promised to agree to the idea, but kept that to himself.

He had been over the moon when he'd heard about the problem with the hyper drive on Bandor's ship. Fauk had wasted no time in offering the Polluxian party a ride home on his ship. He had been sure that he would get no more time with Romelle until Elena's wedding, but now he would have two whole days with her. Bandor would be glad to have lots of time with his bride to be, and wouldn't be suspicious if Fauk spent time with his sister.

This morning Allura and Lance had hosted a family breakfast, to say goodbye to Bandor and Romelle. Of course he and Elena had been invited, with him being paired with Romelle. It was nice to be seen as a family member, and Fauk had been careful to be casually friendly to Romelle, but nothing more. He knew the Arusian queen missed nothing, and Lance was a ladies' man who would see if Fauk was up to anything. The Odeon prince had been surprised at how much he liked the idea of being with Romelle, not just for sex, but as a friend too. The experience was new for him, and he was still processing the whole thing.

Fauk entered the waiting room, wanting to get on board his ship and make sure that Romy was properly settled and comfortable. His transport was brand new, state of the art, beautifully decorated, and the last word in luxury. He was looking forward to showing her how a princess should be treated, and taken care of.

As he entered the room he heard voices and saw that Romelle was standing in front of a holoscreen, with her back towards him. She was wearing the yellow sweater, and matching pleated skirt that she'd worn to breakfast, which had looked so good with her red hair. Her outfit though had been eclipsed by Allura's, which was a knit suit from St. John's latest collection.

Fauk wished he could take Romy shopping to give her the kind of clothes she should be wearing, as well as appropriate underwear too. He had done lots of research on the shop in Paris that Lance had taken Allura to, which _Entertainment Tonight_ had reported on. The establishment actually had an on-line shop that he had enjoyed pursuing, picturing the red haired princess in some of the pieces. Taking his mind off of her clothes, he listened to what the woman on the screen was saying.

"Your Highness, Sgt. Reed here. You had asked about the status of Commander Holggerson's craft, and I have the information for you and His Majesty." Fauk watched as Romelle inclined her head and asked the woman to go on.

"Polluxian NCR789 cleared Arusian airspace half an hour ago, and is enroute to Crydor as we speak. ETA is around 1700 hours this afternoon." Romelle couldn't believe that Sven had left without even trying to say goodbye to her or Erik. She sucked in a breath so hard her stomach hurt, and she heard Sgt. Reed asking her if there was anything else.

Fauk knew that Romelle had been asking about Sven's craft, and could tell from the way she went stiff, as well as the tone in her voice that she was very upset. He knew because by now Fauk was familiar with her mannerisms, especially those in relation to her husband. It impressed him how well she was controlling it though, in front of the GA person. The news regarding Sven, while making Romelle unhappy was like gold for him though. Romy was going to be upset, and much more receptive to his attention.

In that moment Fauk changed his strategy for the trip, as he carefully made his way back out of the room. The new plan would take longer, but reap so many more benefits, he thought to himself. Fauk also said a private thank you to Sven, for how easy the man was making it for him with Romelle. He knew that Romy had been so wrapped up in the news about Sven that she had not heard him enter the room. Fauk stood outside for two minutes, before he re-entered the room.

"Romelle, you are not on board yet?" Fauk asked innocently, as he came up next to her while giving her a happy smile. He saw that she was working to contain her hurt, and it took a great deal of control not to put his arms around her, to comfort her.

"Hello Fauk, I just had one more thing to take care of before we left. Nanny and Erik are already on board, as are Bandor and Elena." Romelle noticed how glad he really was to see her, and it made her feel better. "Thank you again for letting us come along with you." She told the handsome man, admiring how nice he looked in a blue designer polo shirt that matched his eyes, crisply pressed light colored slacks, accented by a belt, and tasseled loafers of soft brown leather. Everything was in mint condition, and his thick blond hair was well cut and brushed.

"It is my pleasure, of course. I am glad that you haven't boarded yet, because it will give me the chance to show you around personally." Fauk almost beamed at her as he opened the door to the ramp, and waited for her to go through first. His manners were always impeccable, and he'd had lots of experience in knowing how to make a woman feel special and protected. In his mind, no one had ever needed that as much as Romy did.

When they arrived at the transport craft a steward was waiting for them and bowed as they walked into the small hallway. They then entered the main salon of the ship and Romelle was astonished at what she saw. The room was paneled in smooth wood, the rug underneath was thick and soft, while the furnishings were fine quality upholstered in colors to compliment the rug. Crystal chandeliers hung from several places, giving the room a rich feel.

Bandor's personal craft was certainly nice, but several years old and not appointed like this one was. She couldn't believe that she was going to be transported in such luxury as she looked around the room. Romelle saw that champagne and finger food had been laid out in the corner, which she guessed was for them.

"This is beautiful Fauk! It looks like a room at the palace, not a ship!" She enthused, as she turned to look at him. Romelle noticed how close he was standing to her, almost close enough to kiss her. The minute that thought popped into her mind it both dismayed her, and excited her too.

"I do not see why one should be uncomfortable if you don't have to be. Let me show you around, and then we will come back and have refreshments." He replied smoothly, liking how impressed she was with his ship. Fauk was right next to her, their bodies almost touching, and when she had turned to face him their lips could have met. The idea thrilled him, and he wished he could have acted on it, but he had long range goals in his mind.

In addition to the main salon there was a dining room, and a small reading room, on the main level. The bedrooms were downstairs, and Fauk showed her the one she would be staying in. It was decorated in soothing blues and grays, giving it a very feminine feel. It was nicer than the one at her house on Pollux, which she told Fauk.

"Maybe you need to redecorate then, Romelle! You should live somewhere very nice, with lots of flowers of course. That is the only drawback to the ship, is that we don't have fresh flowers. At the palace on Odeos, every room has some type of floral arrangement in." Fauk told her in winning tones, and Romelle couldn't help but think how different the man was than Sven, who hated cut flowers.

"Oh, another reason I gave you this room is because it has a door to connect it to the room next door, where Nanny and Erik are." Fauk added, informing her "That way, if you need to get up in the middle of the night to check on him, you won't have to go out into the hall." By now Romelle was feeling overwhelmed by all the luxury, and by how solicitous Fauk was with her. He had thought of everything to keep her comfortable, and no one besides Bandor had ever done that before.

That thought, coming on top of the hurt and anger she had experienced in the spaceport with Sven, caused her eyes to start to tear up, and she was crying before she realized. Fauk saw that, and took her arm gently, leading her to a small alcove at the end of the hall. He would have been happy to have stayed in the bedroom, but didn't want to risk being caught. His plan would be harder to implement if there were any gossip regarding them.

He took a soft, white linen handkerchief out of his pants pocket and gently blotted the tears coming from her eyes. Fauk still had his one hand on her arm, which he moved to gently encircle her shoulders. Their bodies were almost touching, but he was not going to move any closer to her. Romelle cried a few more tears, and then recovered her composure.

"I'm sorry Fauk, I didn't mean to cry, and it wasn't anything you did. Well, I mean you did because you are so nice, and thoughtful." Romelle stammered feeling like her heart was in her throat, and butterflies in her stomach. Fauk's arm around her felt so strong and she was catching whiffs of his fresh smelling cologne, as his blue eyes shone with kindness.

"Romelle, is there something going on, a problem? Please, we are friends and I would be glad to listen." His voice was soft and concerned, and she remembered how well he had dealt with Sven at the after party. She also knew that Bandor was telling him everything that was going on with Sven, and Fauk was almost family.

She took a deep breath, and looked at him "It's, I don't know why it upset me so much. Just before you came into the waiting room I had found out that Sven left Arus without saying goodbye to me or Erik. I know that things are not good between us right now, but I didn't think he would leave without a word!" It still perplexed that he would leave like that.

"Poor Romy, he should not be allowed to cause you so much pain and hurt. You deserve to be treated better." Fauk consoled her, giving her shoulders a gentle squeeze "That man is unfeeling, and uncaring!" His voice took on an indigent note, and Romelle could just see him taking Sven to task. She gave him a grateful look, letting him know that his plan was working. It was very hard not to take her in his arms, but he didn't want to do that yet. There was also the fact that they were in a semi-public place too. If anyone saw them right now, they would just see the prince consoling her, but nothing else.

"Please don't be upset with your brother, but he has told me everything that is going on with your husband. Bandor has also told me of your desire to try to work with the man, for the sake of your son." Fauk seemed to hesitate, as if trying to find the right words "Romy, I admire you for that very much. However, I think the time is coming that you need to realize that your husband doesn't seem to have any interest in working with you." He let the words hang in the air, as she thought about all of Sven's actions towards her.

Romelle heard Fauk, and reviewed all of Sven's behavior in her mind, rolling the handkerchief she was holding into a ball. The comments he'd made at the after party, and his behavior at breakfast all lit up in her brain like a neon sign. The panic and worry she'd felt when she had found out that Sven had taken Erik came back to her too. Against that, she thought about Fauk caring about the room arrangements so she could be close to her son.

"Fauk, thank you for saying that! And for letting me cry. You are right; I do need to look at the situation as it really is." Romelle finished drying her eyes, and passed the handkerchief back to him. "I feel better for talking to you. Shall we finish the tour, and have some champagne?" She could see what Fauk was saying, that it was time to stop putting her life on hold. Sven was not going to change, as was very clear by his leaving without saying goodbye.

The prince removed his arm, and escorted her upstairs, a very pleased smile on his handsome face. Honestly, he thought privately, could Romy's husband really be so stupid and/or short sighted?


	12. Chapter 12

_**Author's Note: The back story for the Admiral's daughters can be found at the beginning of chapter 16 of 'A Knight's Journey'.**_

_**A Wagnerian Experience**_

Sven left Keith's office in a major snit, muttering under his breath as he stomped down the hall. He had heard the threat that Keith had leveled at him, about treason and the arrest warrant with his name on it. Even as he was dealing with Lotor and Maahox, all those months ago, he'd known it was wrong, but it was all for his son that he had even listened to their proposition in the first place. Maahox had almost read his mind, in how he approached the Viking, and what he had offered.

Arriving at his room he saw a holoscreen waiting for him, and he growled as he went to read the message. It surprised him to see that it was from Romelle, letting him know that she had come to say goodbye to him. It caught him off balance, because he had felt like she had been avoiding him the last two days. Sven then remembered how she and Erik were getting back to Pollux, and as the image of Fauk danced through his brain, he ground his teeth. He deleted the message, uttering several particularly nasty curse words as he did so.

Daniel was closing his bag, having already packed it the night before. Vince was sitting on the lower bed, looking forlorn as he thought to his friend '_well, we will get to see if the mind link works long distance_'. Daniel mentally replied '_that is one way to regard this experience. Along with the fact I get to smoke pot – whoop de do!_' Daniel didn't think toking a joint with Sven was going to be any kind of fun, especially with no girls and no drinking involved.

'_Hey, I'll be talking to you every day, and will be visiting you once a week. Do you have your thermal linings?_' Vince could feel the despair that Daniel was experiencing, and it hurt him deeply. '_Yea, I have my thermals, and along with all my cold weather gear. Do you think when it is all done; Lance and Keith would spring for a tropical vacation for me?_'

Vince laughed out loud, commenting "I bet if the experiment is a success, Pidge will pay for the trip himself!" That made Daniel laugh too, which cheered him slightly. As the cadets left the room they joked about where to go, and could they get the admiral's daughters to come with them? Vince was soon mentally sending Daniel pictures of the girls, along with tropical beaches.

Arriving at the spaceport they were still laughing when they saw Keith and Lance there, who looked at them puzzled stares. "You two didn't go sneak a drink did you? Not that I would blame you, but still." Lance inquired, while Keith tried to muster disapproval, but couldn't because he would not have blamed them for drinking before this trip.

"Daniel had wondered if when this was done, would you two give him a tropical vacation? And could the admiral's daughters come along?" Vince replied, a knowing grin on his face, as he added "I think he would like a beach where bathing suits are optional." Daniel thought to Vince '_oh god, did your really have to tell them that?_'

Lance laughed loudly when he heard that, and slapped Daniel on the back "Dan my man, yes, when this is done, I will pay for your vacation, first class all the way. However, I don't know about the admiral's daughters." That made everyone laugh, which is how Sven found them when he came stomping up to the waiting room.

"Glad to see that this is so funny." Sven snarled, as he looked at Keith and Lance with almost hatred. He still couldn't believe that his friends had backed him into a corner like they had. Lance's dig about Bandor being more of a man, and Keith's comment about Erik being the crown prince were also fresh in his brain.

"Svenny, we were just talking about tropical beaches and pretty girls! Once we get you cured, you will need to take your gorgeous wife to one. Romelle would be smoking hot in a string bikini." Lance tried joking with Sven, but was only rewarded with a string of curse words in Norwegian. The Viking then stalked up the ramp to his ship, turning to regard the group.

"Well, can't you walk up yourself? I'm not caring you!" Sven snapped, and then disappeared into the ship. The group waiting hugged each other, and then Keith saluted Daniel wishing him good luck. Daniel walked up the ramp and before entering the cockpit, gave one last wave to his teammates below. They watched the ship prepare to launch, and then saw the arc as it took off into the deep blue Arusian sky.

"Do you think Daniel will be able to curse like Sven?" Vince asked, trying to lighten the mood some. That made Keith and Lance smile, as they thought about their old academy roommate. Thinking about New West Point brought something else to mind, and Lance's face took on a worried expression. Keith and Vince both inquired what it was regarding.

"You do know who will be cursing, right?" Lance started to explain, "Pidge! Thank god I don't have to be the one to tell him that we are messing with his experiment."

Vince's eyes widened, and filled with horror "He is going to kill me!" He remembered how his mentor had treated him after hacking into Pidge's computer accounts. The Green Lion pilot was methodical about his experiments, and very touchy if anyone interfered.

"No Vince, you will be completely blameless. Please remember that Allura said that she would take full responsibility for the decision. You are just following her orders, nothing more." Keith reminded the cadet, while looking at Lance. "When is she going to tell him about it all?" He asked in a hard tone, making it very clear that she wouldn't dump that job in his lap.

"Allie figured that she would talk to him after he and Larmina returned from the honeymoon. I think she is hoping that he will be so full of wedded bliss that he won't be that upset." Lance reassured Keith, understanding why he wouldn't want that job. Vince made a ribald comment about the honeymoon, which made Lance and Keith laugh again, as they all walked back to the castle.

Daniel walked up the ramp, and looked at the small utility craft docked there; it's only insignia the tail number. He knew that the transport that Allura used bore the arms of the royal house, held aloft by a gold lion. He and Vince had also been in the holding area where they'd seen the transport crafts used by Bandor and Fauk. Both those also bore elaborate insignia, designating them as royal transport ships, and he'd heard all about the luxury of the Odeon one. Daniel looked at Sven's small ship again, and remembered what he'd been told about the man's relationship with his brother-in-law. The cadet hoped that the Polluxian king wasn't trying to get rid of a bothersome family member by giving him a dangerous ship to fly. If nothing else, Daniel thought, it certainly made a statement about Sven's standing on Pollux.

Entering the cockpit of the small ship, he saw Sven already sitting at the main chair, doing some pre-flight checks. Daniel had grown up reading all about the brave exploits of the Voltron team, and he knew a great deal about Sven. His prowess as navigator was second to none, and he had been the Blue Lion pilot originally. The story of the haggerium attack, and his subsequent time in the Pit of Skulls was a well known story.

Daniel had already discovered that his heroes, up close, were not the same as when he'd read about them on the newsfeeds. He had admired Keith for his stand against Wade, to hunt Black Lion as a fugitive. It had been disconcerting to see the other side of his personality, which included moodiness and the tendency to keep everyone at arm's length. Daniel had also come to see the other team members as people with problems just like everyone else.

Sven didn't even acknowledge his presence, as Daniel went to stow his bag, before sitting in the chair next to the man. The Viking turned and gave him a baleful look, and Daniel wondered if he was supposed to go sit in the cargo hold. He decided though to stay where he was, because he was a trained pilot. There was also the issue that Keith had pretty much told him that if Sven stepped out of line, he had the authority to deal with the situation.

"I understand this is not what you wanted, but we are stuck with each other for the next couple of weeks, so can we be cordial to each other?" Daniel asked calmly, deciding not to be intimidated by the man next to him. The cadet had been raised by a single aunt, who always had lots of boyfriends, and Daniel had learned a lot about men from them. Some good, some bad, but he prided himself on being streetwise and tough, both of which he was going to need in dealing with Sven.

"Worthless piece of shit! If you were at the Academy, which is where you should be, you would be referred to as a douche bag." Sven replied, imaging Daniel being pushed around by an upperclassman. It was the one bright spot of his day so far.

"Well now that we have the pleasantries out of the way, shall we get going?" Daniel inquired coolly, not being that impressed with Sven's insults. "Do you want to listen to music? I have the Zarkonian Freaks latest playlist, along with some of Stereolatic's classic stuff, and of course Def Techno Kat." He rather doubted that the Viking had heard of any of those groups, but it would be better than sitting in silence on the flight to Crydor.

"Douche bag, you need to be educated about music! Wagner was the greatest musical genius that ever composed. When I fly I listen to his operas; I also have the entire collection of the operas produced at the Bayreuth Music Festival. The 'Ring Cycle' alone takes over fourteen hours to watch; it is the music of the Norwegian gods!" Sven declared in a strident voice "Now though we will listen to 'Die Meistersinger' which is just five hours long." Daniel sighed as Sven pushed the levers to launch the craft, as an aria sung in a heavy sounding language came over the speakers. He wished he would have had a drink before the flight, dreading five hours of depressing songs about weird god beings. Daniel was also trying not to think about the last time he'd flown to Crydor, with Lance in the Red Lion.

It was late afternoon when they entered Crydor's atmosphere, and Daniel felt the temperature in the ship drop almost immediately. Using his voltcom, he activated the heat conducers in his thermal linings, and then upped the temperature almost immediately, from the initial setting. By now his ears were ringing from the never ending opera, which Sven played loudly, as he sang along in parts. Daniel had managed to figure out that it was about some singers, but not too much else. His new roommate's remarks about the 'Ring Cycle' being fourteen hours long scared him. He wondered why this Wagner guy could not have written shorter pieces.

Daniel did have to admit that the flight was smooth, and the utility craft had performed well. After landing they pulled up in front of a huge metal structure, and Sven remotely opened the doors to the building. He taxied the ship inside, and then shut the doors behind them, as he positioned the craft in the hanger bay. Once the ship was at a standstill, the cockpit doors were released, and Daniel jumped out quickly.

"Let me show you around, and you will unload the supplies, drone." Sven barked, and Daniel recognized the terminology from New West Point. He figured that his companion was going to treat him like a first year runt, which caused him to emit a low growl in Sven's direction. He followed the Viking, as he walked around the structure.

Off of the big open area was a smaller area that functioned as kitchen/eating room/living room, as well as a small store room too. Daniel was glad to see that there were several small rooms that had cots in them, so he was relieved that he wouldn't have to share a room with Sven. The Viking showed him where to put the provisions they had brought back from Arus, and then stalked off to his bedroom, slamming the door behind him.

The cadet unloaded the supplies, and put them away, tidying up as he went along. Daniel had discovered that the mind link with Vince was not working anymore, which he missed. The link had been broken about halfway through the trip, and Daniel had made a point to record exactly when and where it had broken, for Vince and Pidge's research. He wished he could communicate with Vince now, thinking of all the things he wanted to tell him. Even hearing Vince's never ending thoughts on sex would be welcome, he mused.

Finishing up his task, he entered the living area, and sent a transmission off to Arus that they had arrived. Due to the orbit of the planet, and the weather, there was only a narrow window every day when messages could be sent and received. Daniel knew that the message traffic was held in a VAX system, which was activated when Crydor's two moons separated. They were normally one in front of the other, but for up to an hour each day, the moved apart, allowing access to the outside world. Provided the weather cooperated.

Daniel sat down on the lumpy sofa, and brought up a holoscreen, deciding to get caught up on the episodes of 'Real Enforcers of Meccan'. It was a show about the galaxy border patrol during the days of the Drule Empire, and how they policed the neutral zone. The episodes were heavy on blood, gore, and skimpy clad females of all species, but very light on writing. Larmina had dismissed it as 'man tv' to which Hunk, Lance, and Daniel had all replied '_and the problem is?_'

"Honestly, whoever did that show never met a Lynob! Their women were into each other, not men! And those weapons are all wrong for Drule soldiers at that time!" Sven had come into the room and seen what Daniel was watching, the current scene being the Lynob female seducing the Drule soldier so she could get his gun. Not only did the douche bag have no taste in music, but obviously no taste in anything else.

"Hey don't tell me that! You have to admit that her body is awesome!" Daniel didn't want to think about a woman with a woman, but now that Sven had brought it up, the episode was ruined. He shut down the holoscreen and regarded his companion "Were you ever in the Meccan system?" Any kind of conversation would be welcomed by now, but Sven only grunted.

Daniel sighed, and decided that they might as well get on with the regime they were supposed to be following. "Vince has us scheduled to do a treatment tonight, so shall we do it now?" He had thought about waiting until after they ate, but figuring that they would be hungry after smoking the pot, it seemed to make more sense just to get on with it.

"Should you really be smoking pot? I find it hard to believe that Pidge came up with this!" Sven looked Daniel closely, wondering how old the kid really was. It came to him that this boy was someone's son, and now Sven was in a way responsible for him. The thought was sobering to him, and he was upset that his friends had put him in this position.

"I have smoked pot before, and done all kinds of other things! As for how Pidge came up with the idea." Daniel went on to explain about the Admiral's son, and then his daughters and the little party they had one afternoon. Sven smiled as he heard the cadet talk about the girls, and he remembered when he was like that.

The Viking also decided not to worry about the moral implications of the kid smoking pot, since Sven had started smoking cigarettes when he was younger than Daniel. Even Keith, who had finally gotten Lance to stop smoking, had not been able to make Sven quit. Only the Pit of Skulls had accomplished that. It was rather funny to think that smoking might end up saving his life.

"Let's get going, why not!" Sven decided, as he brought up a holoscreen. Daniel had started rolling the joints, but looked up to see what his companion was doing. He asked Sven that, and the answer made Daniel almost cry.

"I am putting on the first opera from the 'Ring Cycle' – Das Rheingold!" Sven announced with pleasure, looking forward to educating the douche bag about music. The opera sprang to life on the screen, and as the opening number started to fill the room, Daniel's heart sank.


	13. Chapter 13

_**Author's Note: Fauk is busy in this chapter – graphic scene.**_

_**KathDMD: You will probably need a bit of Ciroc.**_

_**So Kiss Me, And Smile For Me**_

It was the afternoon of the second day on Fauk's ship and Romelle had never been happier, yet sad at the same time. Yesterday, after he had dried her tears they had gone to the main salon and sipped champagne. Bandor and Elena joined them, as they nibbled on the prettily decorated finger food. They talked about the wedding, and all the other festiveness that had gone on.

Bandor had then wanted to check in with Pollux, so Fauk took him down to the communications room to do so. Elena asked Romelle if she wanted to watch a movie, so the women did that until it was time to eat. Dinner was served in the beautifully appointed dining room, complete with fine china, silver, and crystal. The food was top notch, and the wines perfectly paired for each course.

When they were done eating, the couples went back to the salon where Elena suggested playing a game. It consisted of cards that listed different things people would like to do, and each player took turns drawing four cards. They then had to rank them in order of what they thought the next person in the rotation liked. Since some of the suggestions were just so bad, it was sometimes a case of ranking what was the least objectionable. It resulted in lots of silly giggling, and a good time was had.

Elena and Bandor sat very close together on the sofa, while Fauk and Romelle sat opposite them in chairs. However, the chairs were right next to each other, and Fauk was very good at accidently brushing his leg against hers, or letting his hand playfully tap or graze her bare arms. Every touch caused tiny shivers in her, and she was reminded of the after party, where he had stroked her foot with his.

When they finished the game, she excused herself because she was tired and it was time to give Erik his final feeding for the night. Fauk insisted on escorting her, good naturedly warning Elena about behaving with Bandor while they were alone. Romelle was nervous with anticipation at what Fauk was going to do when they arrived at her room, thinking about some of the comments he'd made in the past.

Romelle was almost disappointed when he took her hand, and slowly brought it up to his lips, to kiss it softly. She could have sworn that his tongue brushed against her skin, like a butterfly's wing, but he removed his lips before she could be sure. Fauk said good night very properly, but there was no doubt from the look in his eyes that he would have liked to have said, and done, a great deal more.

The next morning she was served breakfast in bed, something that she'd never experienced before. It was so nice to lie back against the soft pillows, and smooth bedding, as she ate the beautifully presented meal. Romelle took the opportunity to watch some of the newsfeeds, to catch up on what was happening in the galaxy. She couldn't even remember the last time she'd had the chance to relax like this.

Nanny brought Erik in, after Romelle was all dressed and ready to go. She took her son upstairs, to practice some walking in the main salon. Around mid-morning Fauk came in, very concerned that she was comfortable, and her room had been satisfactory. She reassured him that everything was perfect, and then he stayed spending time with her and Erik. Romelle was impressed at how well the prince handled her son, seeming to know just the right amount of rough housing to make the boy laugh. It was so nice to be with someone who obviously enjoyed her company, and thought that she was doing a good job with her son.

Lunch had been another scrumptious meal, making Romelle wonder what the kitchen was like on the ship. They were sitting around now and having coffee, while Elena talked about the arrangements for her upcoming wedding. Romelle was sad because they would be at Pollux in several hours, and she didn't want the trip to end.

"Fauk I have to say, your ship is phenomenal! Especially the observation dome! It felt like you were right out in space." Bandor had been going on about the ship, and turned to sister "Didn't you love the dome, Romelle?" She looked very puzzled, which Elena asked about. When she heard that Romelle had not seen the dome yet she was surprised.

"Brother, I can't believe you haven't taking her up there yet! I thought you gave her a tour of the ship yesterday!" Elena joshed her brother, who took it in stride. Romelle had noticed how close the brother and sister were, and how cheerful they always were too.

"I ran out of time yesterday, because of you two – I do need to keep an eye on you!" He teased the girl, who tossed her gold curls at him and stuck her tongue out. Fauk regarded the Polluxian princess as he asked "Would you like to go see it now? I certainly want to show it to you, and I think my sister wants time alone with her affianced."

"I would love to see it! If it isn't a problem?" Romelle hesitated, not wanting to force Fauk to do something he didn't want to. She had learned that lesson well from dealing with Sven all too often. The Odeon prince felt bad for her, looking at him with worry about a simple request. Mentally he ground his teeth as he pondered what he would like to do to her husband.

"It is not a problem, because I know that your brother will behave himself. Of course my sister is another issue!" Fauk stood up, and extended his hand to Romelle, ignoring Elena's fuming. For her part, the Odeon princess was rather tired of her brother.

"Oh please, as if anything would happen anyway!" Elena announced, tossing her gold curls as she went on, directing her comments to Romelle. "Last night, after my brother escorted you down stairs, the steward traipsed through three times in less than twenty minutes."

"I am glad to know that my employees are doing their job! Don't worry; six weeks from now you two will be in Dradin, having a grand old time." Fauk replied, laughing, before he indicated the direction for Romelle to go. He had wanted to take her up to the observation dome, and could have hugged Bandor for suggesting it. Fauk also knew that the couple would be too busy to come look for him and Romelle either.

Once they were outside the room, Fauk led her down the hall as he commented "Dradin is such a fun place! Have you been?" He was pretty sure that she hadn't, but wanted to confirm his thought.

"No, actually the only trips I've taken lately are to Arus." Romelle replied with a sigh, wondering what it would be like to go somewhere for no reason.

"Romy, not only do you need pleasure in your life, you need fun also!" Fauk observed, as he led her up a staircase to a landing. There was a wall with a door, but nothing else; he put his hand on the access panel to the side, and pressed some buttons. The door slid open, but she didn't notice it at first, thinking about his comment regarding fun. Romelle couldn't help but wonder what his idea of fun would be.

"You need to enter to get the whole effect." Fauk told her, stepping in and waiting for her to follow. It came to her that he could be referring to any number of things, with that remark. Romelle went to take a step but saw only open space and stopped as she looked in the small room. She felt like she was surrounded by stars, and it took her a bit to realize that the whole room, even the floor, was made of some kind of transparent material.

A long time ago she remembered her mother reading to her a story that had involved finding happiness because of a leap of faith. Seeing the sky in front of her, the stars laid out like a carpet of light, Fauk seemed to represent the bridge between where her life was, and what it could be; Romelle understood the need to take the leap of faith.

Romelle walked out slowly, to go stand next to him in the transparent room, as she looked around with awe. She reached over to touch the wall, and it was like touching the stars themselves. Fauk watched the wonder that was apparent in her eyes, as she moved closer to the wall. She felt like she was surrounded by the silver stars, and it took her a minute to realize that Fauk had come up in back of her.

She caught a whiff of the fresh smelling cologne, as his body came into contact with hers. Romelle almost gasped when his hands came to rest on her waist, slowly caressing her sides. He continued the sensuous movements, and she felt her body melting into his, as his lips were next to her ear.

"So we need to talk about some fun and pleasure for you, Romy." Fauk whispered against her ear, feeling her defenses slipping as she snuggled against him. "When was the last time a man held and caressed you?" His lips were feather soft against her ear and his breath warm as he asked his question.

His lips moved from her ear down to her neck, softly kissing the tender skin, as she sighed with pleasure. Romelle couldn't even remember the last time Sven had held her, but it hadn't been anything like this. His lips and tongue traced a pattern on the side of her neck, as Fauk made it a point to go very slowly and let her delight in the feelings he knew he was awakening in her body.

Fauk liked how soft and warm she was, so totally responsive against him. Romelle was hungry for love and attention, rather like a plant that had been neglected for too long. He wanted to kiss every inch of her, especially her full breasts and lush curves. Motherhood had filled out her figure, and she was just stunning he thought, as he let his hands explore more of her body.

"You haven't answered my question; when was the last time you were held and caressed?" Fauk queried in a gentle voice, as he rubbed his face against her soft hair. Romelle was having hard time thinking about anything but how wonderful it felt to have him hold her. Sven had never been into cuddling, and only hugged her if he wanted to have sex with her.

"Way too long." She answered simply, not wanting to lie to this incredible man. Romelle was tired of pretending that everything was fine, and being the perfect princess that her royal house wanted from her. She had sacrificed her happiness for too long, with nothing in return, while waiting for Sven to change, or get well.

"Oh Romy, I rather suspected as much. We need to cure that, now don't we?" Fauk's hands explored her waist, hips, and thighs, awakening longings she had not experienced in a long time. He had a hand across her stomach, while his other one had reached down to lightly stroke one of her inner thighs. The fingers just missed brushing against her femaleness by a hair's breath, making her pant with desire. Her core was hot, and she felt moisture on her underwear, letting her know that her body was ready for a great deal more. She had never ever been aroused this fast by the only other man she'd been with.

"You are already quivering with desire, and I've hardly done anything at all." Fauk murmured into her ear, before his tongue started tracing the inside. He was delighted with how fast her body responsed to his very tame attentions. She would be an animal in bed, he sure, with the right approach, which he knew how to do.

Romelle was all set to say something when Fauk moved his hands to her full breasts, cupping them as he lightly massaged them. Instead of words all she could manage was a moan, which became louder when his fingertips played with her hardening nipples. By now he was completely supporting her weight, as she leaned back against him. Her eyes had been closed but now she opened them to look up at the rooftop of stars above her.

"Don't stop!" She whimpered, as he removed his hands from her breasts, and was surprised to hear him give a low laugh, saying "Romy, I am only just beginning with you. You are like a ripe, luscious peach and I want to taste every bit of you."

Fauk turned her around so she was facing him, and then tilted his head slightly, as he smiled at her. Romelle noticed, just before he kissed her, that his eyes smiled too. His lips were then on hers, and as his tongue entered her mouth she felt a flash of electricity hit her body. She pressed tighter against him, as their tongues did a sinuous dance in her mouth. The sensations he was causing were like nothing she had ever known before.

Fauk's one hand was still on her back, but his other one was cradling her head, as his fingers brushed against the sensitive skin of her neck. She was letting her hands glide over the smooth fabric of his shirt, as she felt his strong muscles. Romelle had no idea how long the kiss went on for, as she lost herself in him completely. His shaft was like a steel rod against her groin, and she raised her hips to allow him more access. Fauk thrust hard in response, making her feel a primal hunger that drove any thought but him from her mind.

She was trembling, both from desire and need, as pressed herself against him, her hips moving with a will of their own. Fauk's manhood was up against her femaleness, as the arcs of pleasure shot through her core in time to his movements. Romelle was sure that her heart was going to burst, and she threw her head back as her body felt like a bolt of lightning hit it.

"Faukkkkk." Romelle started to scream his name, and he covered her mouth with hers, as she rode out the wave of pleasure. When it was over with, she sagged against him, totally spent. She had never climaxed like that before, and Fauk hadn't even been insider her. He held her gently, as she nestled into his neck, catching her breath.

"I think you liked that, Romy!" Fauk proclaimed, going on "When you come to Odeos for the wedding, I am going to lay you on my bed, and kiss every inch of your body. You are so beautiful, and I want to see you naked, your skin flushed with passion and desire. When we make love you will be able to scream as loud as you want, and I promise that when I'm done you won't be able to walk. I wish I could take you to my bedroom right now, but there is no privacy on the ship."

The mention of his bedroom, and privacy, made her realize what she had just done with him. Romelle started to draw back as her eyes flew open wide, but he held her tight against. "Shh, we safe in here, Romy. Let me hold you a little longer, please?" Fauk asked gently, his blue eyes pleading as he looked at her. She was blown away at how he was with her, wildly passionate, and then so kind and gentle.

"What we just did, Fauk, I have never." Romelle snuggled with him, enjoying the feeling of being cherished. She was sure that he wouldn't just have sex, and then roll over to his side of the bed, because he didn't like being crowded.

She heard him laugh softly as he replied "I had no doubt of that! I am looking forward to showing you proper foreplay, which only makes sex better!" Fauk had suspected that there was fire and passion in her, and he now had a taste of what she had to offer. Thinking about how she screamed with pleasure just feeling his cock against her, he was having a good time imaging what she was going to do when he was actually thrusting inside her.

It dawned on Romelle, as he was holding her that his manhood was still rock hard against her. She raised her head and asked "Fauk, you're still, you haven't. Can I do something for you?" The words were stammered and hesitant, not sure if she would even know what to do, other than maybe touch his shaft. Her experience was not that much, she decided, and felt sorry that she couldn't do something for him.

"No, my dear. This little interlude is about you, and what you need. Don't worry Romy; there will be plenty of time for you to explore all of my body." Fauk replied gently, "Just stay next to me a little longer." She was almost moved to tears at how kind and generous he was, as she laid her head back on his chest, listening to his beating heart. Romelle had not felt as secure as she did right now, in a very long time.

"Fauk, I hate to leave, but we have probably been gone too long!" Romelle didn't like saying it, wanting to stay as close to him as possible. However, they couldn't stay here forever, and that made her think of the time. "Fauk, how long have we been in here for?"

He laughed pleasantly "Romy, did I make you lose track of time? Are you sorry?" Fauk was all set to kiss her again, and his lips had just barely brushed hers, when he pulled back. Her lips were already softly parted, with her breath coming quick, letting him know that she had been ready for his kiss. He knew that she was also ready for a great deal more.

"We have probably been here for longer than wise, but it was so worth it, Romy." His voice was low, "When you come to Odeos, I promise you fun and pleasure." Fauk removed his arms, and went to open the door.

"Don't you think the stars are amazing, Romy? Each represents infinite possibilities, and serves as bearers of hope." He commented gently, which made her smile.

"Fauk, for the first time in a long time, I feel hopeful. Thank you." Romelle was trying to steady her legs, so she could walk out of the room. She felt so alive in her body, the sensations he had awakened still coursing through her. Romelle wished it wasn't six weeks until she could be with him again, and let him do everything he wanted. Fauk gave her a secret smile, lightly putting his hand on her back to steady her as they walked out of the room.

The Odeon prince was feeling something besides hopeful, as they left the room. Fauk had almost been glad when Romelle said they needed to get back. Holding her had been like nothing he had ever experienced before, and it shook him badly. He prided himself on his sexual prowess, and self-control of his desires. In all his other encounters he had never let his personal urges overtake him, until he was ready for release.

Being with Romy though, as she had welcomed his thrusts, had pushed him almost to the edge. It had taken more will than he had ever had to exercise before, not to climax along with her. When she had offered what she had, Fauk knew he had to turn it down. Her touch on his manhood would have too much, and he would have come as quickly as a teenage boy having his first encounter. Fauk was shaken by the need that had coursed through his body. He now pondered if he had taken on more than he had thought, with the Polluxian princess.


	14. Chapter 14

_**Author's Note: The idea of the grid map, with the markers, came from the system used by the German Navy during World War II, in conjunction with the 'Enigma' code machine.**_

_**Fed Up On Planet Doom**_

Prince Fauk of Odeos was not the only one wondering if he had taken on more than he had thought. Maahox had been in his laboratory on Planet Doom, scanning multiple news sources from across the galaxy. He agreed with the ancient earth scientist and statesman, Sir Francis Bacon, that knowledge was power. Not only could he absorb, and remember multiple sources of information, but he was from a race of beings that had long life spans. Maahox had been very young when they Drules were coming to power, but in his species the idea of childhood did not exist.

It was while reading the field dispatches from the Galaxy Alliance that he came across the piece of information that had led him to where he was now, thinking about what he had taken on. The information itself was bad enough, but having to explain it to Lotor was even worse. Maahox had heard that King Zarkon had stated publicly, on more than one occasion, that his son was an idiot and incompetent. The scientist was ready to agree with that statement, and questioned why the king had not just had him killed, as he had done to so many others, even family.

The dispatches had mostly been regarding the transfer of supplies between warehouses, various bases, and refueling stops. It was dry, logistical information, but the reptilian scientist knew that if resources were being moved, it needed to be noted. What had first caught his attention was one of the memos that dealt with a large transfer of men and materials. The GA was getting ready for something, it was clear, and Maahox wanted to know what it was.

The message was coded, with the locations only indicated by a letter/number designation. The markers corresponded to a grid that was overlaid on a map of the galaxy. Depending on the threat level, the markers would be moved, either horizontally or vertically, so many spaces. The idea was that you needed to have the key, which told you where to position the markers on the grid.

Maahox had long ago cracked the code, and since everything had stabilized in the galaxy, the GA had been lax about changing the key. He brought up the map of the galaxy, overlaid it with the grid and the markers, which showed him where all those resources were going to. What he saw perplexed him, because it was empty space at first glance.

He set his hands on his hips, as he rolled his one eye, trying to figure out where the mistake was. Maahox looked at several other dispatches, and the designator markers in those matched up with his current grid key. That at least told him that the GA had not rotated the key, but not too much else. He then narrowed in on the quadrant, as indicated by the grid. It was just off from the planet of Odeos.

Scanning his memory, he pulled together everything he knew about the planet, which was located in the Stettin system. It was unremarkable, as far as location or natural resources, Maahox thought. He then turned his attention to any recent news from the place. He read the gossip newsfeeds as eagerly as he read the ones from GA Headquarters; Maahox liked to know everything happening in the galaxy! The upcoming wedding of the Odeon princess to the Polluxian king was the only thing of any recent note. Maahox did not know any of the players, but remembered that Grand Prince Fauk, the planet's ruler had been a highly decorated Alliance fighter pilot during the Drule wars.

This was getting him nowhere, Maahox mused, as he looked at the empty space on the map. He didn't think the GA was going to establish a large presence on Odeos. Even if they were allowed to, which he doubted they would be by the Odeons, it just didn't make sense militarily. Something though was tickling the back of brain, a reference to Odeos several months ago, in another batch of memos.

Scanning the data banks took several minutes, but he found it in a reference to the trade treaty that Odeos and Arus had entered into. The timing coincided with the engagement, and Maahox remembered that the King of Pollux and Queen of Arus were cousins. It looked like the queen had brokered the marriage, in his opinion.

Maahox remembered that she had been the Blue Lion pilot until recently, proving herself in combat many times over. He liked strong willed females, admiring how they could be tough, but decisive in a way that most humanoid men couldn't be. He took a moment to picture the great warrior Queen of Arus in his mind. He then sighed, because said warrior female was the great prize of His Majesty, King Lotor.

Lotor had desired the Arusian princess for years, and had spent vast amounts of his, and his father's resources, in pursuit of the female. Maahhox groaned, not wanting to listen to his overlord on that subject. The Drule's reaction to her marriage had almost caused a quake on the planet, because of Lotor's rage. For his part, he had a secret longing to have a dinner, one on one, with the glorious woman. She was beautiful, accomplished, smart – all the qualities Maahox admired in a ruler – none of which his current one had.

Stiffing his spine, Maahox came back to the task on hand, and how to turn it to his advantage. He also needed to keep the upper hand with Lotor, which was not as easy as he had first thought. He transferred his attention to the trade treaty, and found a codicil at been added at the end.

The codicil involved three auxiliary planets that were under Odeon control – Pommern, Ermlnd, and Konigs. Now Maahox had the answer as to why the space on the grid had appeared empty. Unoccupied auxiliary planets did not always get noted he knew. Bringing up a different map, he found the planets, along with their trajectory orbits.

Two of the planets were to the south and west of Odeos, and had some value as refueling stops for trade ships. Pommern was also in a good location to provide short term docking for military transport ships. Konigs though, being off to the east, with a trajectory orbit that took it to the edge of the Stettin system, was a different story.

The east border of the Stettin system was parallel to the Colwemb system, which had been the neutral zone with the Drule Empire a very long time ago. The Drules had made some minor conquests of planets, to see what the rest of the galaxy did to them. Nothing, other than trade sanctions were imposed, so the Drules bought themselves time by agreeing to a neutral zone, which was supposed to confine their ambitions.

In reality, the Drules used the neutral zone, which had been a temporary truce area, to make nice until they had gotten to full strength. Maahox had a nagging feeling that he'd seen a reference to Konigs in some old Drule documents. It bothered him, because Konigs had definitely been outside of the neutral zone, as the boundaries were at the time.

One of Maahox's earliest projects, when he had first come to Castle Doom was to digitize all the old records from the days of King Zarkon, and his father too. Lotor had thought the project a waste of time, but the scientist didn't want to overlook anything. Switching data banks, to the archives of the Drule Empire, he started a search for any reference to Konigs.

Maahox found what he was looking for, and as he read the reports he felt a chill settling on his body. The Drules had launched the war, after getting their forces to full strength. Konigs was one of many planets the Drules conquered in the early days of the war. So many systems were defenseless, because they had believed that the Drules would honor the treaty.

Konigs had been conquered very easily, Maahox read, because the people were peace loving and intellectual in nature. The Drules had been flabbergasted that the people had not even put up a fight against them. The invaders either slaughtered the population, or sold them into slavery. The planet's location was perfect for launching attacks on the rich Stettin and Denbuin systems, so the Drule's rapidly established a large base on the planet.

Reading further, he saw that the base was abandoned not even a year later, without any attack having ever been launched from it. Maahox read about how the weapons wouldn't work, the machinery broke down, and the soldiers were always getting sick. It was decided the planet's atmosphere was somehow poisonous to the Drule blood, so they shut up the shop and left. On Drule maps the planet was marked with the death symbol, which meant it was off-limits.

The scientist was not interested in the sickness that the Drule soldiers had experienced, but the copious notes about the problems with the weapons and machinery worried him. Haggerium was always the main element, or power source, for Drule war machinery. Nothing had ever been found that rendered it useless, and even Voltron was not able to beat it completely.

Maahox suspected that Konigs had something on it that could have neutralized, or destroyed the haggerium. He decided he needed to take a trip to Konigs, and was now explaining his reasoning to Lotor. It had taken the scientist a long time to get Lotor back to full strength, after his last encounter with Voltron. Lotor was hot for revenge, and didn't see the need for Maahox to take a field trip.

Retelling the story, for the third time, as he looked at battle scarred Drule, Maahox was starting to regret entering into an alliance with Lotor. Managing the king was more work than he had envisioned, and so far no rewards had been reaped. His majesty was impatient, ungrateful, and complained constantly at anything he came into contact with.

"Sire, you must understand that if there is an element out there that could defeat haggerium, we must control it. Otherwise, your desire to take down Voltron and the Alliance will all be for naught." Maahox explained slowly, trying to get the Drule to focus on something concrete. The scientist decided to be devious, as he added "As it stands now, Konigs is set to become a GA military outpost. If that happens, they could discover the secret of the planet before we do."

"You were supposed to come up with a new robeast to defeat Voltron!" Lotor pouted, not wanting to be seen as giving into Maahox. The scientist regarded the king; sitting in his haggerium filled hot tub, and inwardly sighed, as he wondered again what he had gotten himself into.

"My Lord, we need to know what is on that planet, before the Alliance does. If there is something, and they get hold of it, our plans are finished." Maahox replied slowly, wanting to slap Lotor up the side of the head. If he had any sense, the scientist thought, he would be ordering me there right now. It took several more minutes before Lotor finally agreed with the plant.

"Maahox, before you leave, please adjust the temperature of the haggerium bath; I feel chilly." Lotor said petulantly, "Oh and I need more wine too." Maahox did some quick calculations, to figure out just how hot he would have to make the bath, to parboil the Drule king.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I will see to it right away, because we don't want you to be uncomfortable." The scientist answered, keeping the sarcasm out of his voice. He was disappointed because the tub couldn't get hot enough to boil Lotor to death. Maahox took care of the king's needs, and then went down to the hanger bay. After making sure the ship was ready, he briefed Commander Cossack on the trip, explaining it as scouting mission for another source of haggerium. The ship pulled away from Planet Doom, and Maahox regarded the receding planet, pondering again just what he had taken on.


	15. Chapter 15

_**Author's Note: I need to acknowledge, and say a big thank you to KathDMD for editorial and creative assistance. This chapter involves smoking pot, which neither of us has done. However, we have been to concerts and have friends who have experienced it. I hope what we describe in the chapter is not too far off the mark.**_

_**Mer3Girl & KathDMD: Daniel has taken control of the music!**_

_**Songs: Fearless/Pink Floyd, When The Music Is Over/The Doors, Paranoid Lyrics/Black Sabbath, Sober/Tool, No Woman No Cry/Bob Marley, One More Time/Daft Punk**_

_**Fed Up On Planet Crydor**_

Daniel didn't know it, but he was at the same place with Sven that Maahox was with Lotor. He had thought he had known exactly what he was taking on, in going to Crydor with Sven. The reality though was ten times worse than anything he and Vince had imagined it would be. It was Daniel's fifth day on the frozen tundra of a planet, and he was totally done with Sven, and his attitude towards everything.

The man was so negative; he did nothing but whine about his brother-in-law, his wife, and the way they were treating him. Having heard the whole story of Sven's behavior with Erik, Daniel was astounded that the Polluxian king had not thrown the jerk's ass into jail. He was amazed that someone so smart about math and navigation could be so stupid about everything else.

They were getting ready for their 'treatment', which Daniel was already bored with. Vince had tweaked the protocols for the experiment, so they were both doing the same treatment. The joints were adjusted for their weights, but otherwise, they toked every day. In the past, Daniel had smoked a fair amount of both cigarettes and joints, but had never developed the habit. Rather he enjoyed the social aspect of the ritual, and nothing else. Now, being mandated to toke a joint, it took all the pleasure out of it, as well as the circumstances under which he'd had to do it.

Daniel had made it through the entire Wagnerian opera of 'The Ring Cycle', the only high point being the nearly- naked Rhine maidens. It might have amused him under different circumstances or with better company. Sven was the only person he knew who became maudlin and morose from getting high. By now he was wondering if his companion's mood would improve with proper music to get high with, and decided to perform an experiment of his own. He had loaded a playlist into the system, and he was going to get his way. He made sure to work fast, since dinner was right around the corner.

The Viking made it a point to make sure that there were regular meals, because he knew that teenage boys needed a lot of food. "At least doing it before dinner makes eating easier." Sven observed as he stomped heavily into the common area. He hated the treatments. They wiped him out and made him so sad. Then the sadness would lead him to think about Romelle and Erik, which made him even more depressed. The whole mess was a vicious circle and he was tired of going round and round.

"Don't you find it ironic that we are both bored with smoking pot? Come on, how many people would be thrilled to do this?" Daniel's observation cut into Sven's thoughts and he regarded the young man intently. Sven had been a total bastard to the cadet, but he had to admit, the kid had taken it with a stiff upper lip. And besides, he secretly enjoyed some of the cadet's tales regarding girls and motorcycles. He'd been a teenage boy once, too, and he had his own share of stories from his Academy days.

"You're a young guy; you should be getting off on this!" Sven commented, thinking back to when he was Daniel's age. Even though he had good stories of his own, it seemed like such a long time ago that he had ever been that young.

"Yea sure if there were hot chicks, booze, and some decent music!" Daniel replied in a disgusted tone, thinking privately _'and if I wasn't stuck in the freezer with you_'.

Sven looked surprised as he stated "Believe me; I understand the chicks and the booze more than I've let on, but what is wrong with the music we have been listening to!" The Viking was insulted that Daniel didn't like Wagner, and that he had not been able to improve the young cadet's taste in music.

"I already have the play list loaded, and it has nothing to do with fucking German opera or underdressed Norwegian gods! Damn it all, it never gets above forty degrees in Scandinavia, but no one in those dreary musicals wears clothes? Really? We're smoking weed here, not crack!" Daniel commented, trying not to grind his teeth. "So now we're gonna listen to classic earth rock, like Pink Floyd and Black Sabbath, while we get stoned. Black Sabbath is great because you can actually see the colors of the music when you're high. And then we'll finish with Def Techno Kat, 'cuz their finale is like nothing else you've heard!"

The Viking noticed the hard set to Daniel's jaw and decided not to fight it, but he did comment "You'd better be careful, Runt, or you will turn into a bastard like Keith and Lance." Sven's pride was still deeply wounded from the way his old friends had treated him, but up until now had been careful not to criticize them in front of the cadet.

"Hey, they're doing better than you are, so maybe being a bastard is the way to go." Daniel coolly remarked as he passed the joint to Sven, who had taken a seat at the table. He lit his, and then remarked "Of course, _you _are married to a gorgeous princess with a great figure, and have a cute son. Most men would kill for that kind of thing."

"What do you mean by that statement?" Sven was taken aback by Daniel's observation, and the disdain he saw in the young man's eyes. It was not quite the expression his brother-in-law had, but close to it and he wondered why he managed to get the same reaction from so many people.

"All I've ever heard out of you is whining and complaining about your wife and her brother." Daniel took a drag on his joint "By the way, can I give you a piece of advice? Never bad mouth a woman's family to her face; it is just asking for trouble! Anyway, it just seems to me that you are more concerned about _you _than you are about anyone else. That kind of attitude will get you nowhere, other than freezing your ass off on Crydor!" He was starting to feel the marijuana's effects, and giggled at the joke he had just made.

_Fearlessly the idiot faced the crowd smiling_

_Merciless the magistrate turns round, frownin_g

Pink Floyd was playing over the sound system, and as Sven took his second toke he started swaying slightly to the music. The pot and the music took the sting out of the comment Daniel had just made, and he gave the boy credit for his wit. He then mulled over what he had just heard, and realized that it sounded like what Lance had said to him during his angry f-bomb tirade.

"If you could swear better you would sound like Lance!" Sven swayed a little more, "This music is not bad! My brother-in-law is a fucking pompous asshole! Who told you that about women? Your father?" His thoughts were starting to jumble together, and _almost _appeared as words in his mind.

Daniel didn't want to hear about Bandor again, so as much as he didn't want to talk about his upbringing, he went for the lesser of two evils. "My father didn't stick around after I was born, and my mother died when I was two. I was raised by her sister, and whatever boyfriend she had at the time. Most were decent guys, a few weren't, but I learned something from each of them." He offered this information to his companion, who was stunned by what had just been said.

Sven had always assumed that the boy had parents, and was surprised to learn that he didn't. That reminded him of what Lance and Keith had said to him, that he needed to be there for Erik. He had never given any thought to his son as a young man until now, sitting across from Daniel. Having heard some of the cadet's exploits, it came to the Viking that he didn't want Erik to grow up like this boy had.

"Why didn't your Dad stick around?" Sven asked, as a different song played in the background. "What song is this?" The pot was making him feel mellow, but not sad like it had before.

"Isn't it rad? The song is 'When they music's over' by The Doors, an awesome group." Daniel had to work to focus on Sven's question, since the pot was making waves in his brain. "My understanding is that he had other things to do, and a kid wasn't in the plan. My aunt didn't think too highly of him, but she wouldn't since the guy left her sister with a baby." He had long ago worked out any anger he had, because in his mind it was hard to be angry at a nonentity.

"Romelle doesn't want me." Sven suddenly blurted out, truly believing that he hadn't left Romelle and Erik, _they_ had left_ him_. Daniel sighed, and toked his joint after the Viking made his statement.

"Can't say I blame her, really! You aren't good company, you wanted her to live in a dump, and you kidnapped her baby. Hello, not how to get in good with a chick!" Daniel replied in a condensing voice, the pot completely lowering his inhabitations. He was fed up listening to the man feel sorry for himself, especially since it was all of his own making.

Sven once again saw the same disdain on Daniel's face that Bandor always seemed to have when he looked at him. The Doors were still playing in the background, and as the Viking dragged on his joint, Daniel's words danced in his brain. "Who said I wanted her to live in a dump!" He knew that if he didn't have the pot in his system the haggerium would be boiling over by now.

"Pidge told Larmina that your house was a dump; she then told Allura and Lance, which was all it took. Larmina knows everything, because she eavesdrops on everyone. Or rather she _used_ to, but I think Pidge keeps her too busy screwing all the time. She is one smoking hot lady! Hey, she has red hair like your wife does! Is it true what they say about red heads, that they are full of fire in bed?" Daniel's internal filter was completely gone now that he was totally high.

Though he was just as high as the cadet, Sven's mouth dropped open in disbelief.

"If I were you I would be so grateful to have such a hot looking wife like you do," Daniel continued. The way he figured, he'd said this much already; why not go all the way? "I would put up with her asshole brother and a whole lot more too!" The cadet had spoken with Bandor several times, and didn't think the king was that bad of a person.

"The house was not a dump! It just needed some work!" Sven muttered; if he had not been so high he would have been snarling.

"It just needed some work? Isn't that like saying 'diamond in the rough' or 'needs TLC?' Good Lord, have you ever considered a career as a real estate agent?" Daniel teased, laughing as if it was the funniest thing he'd ever heard. Black Sabbath was playing now, and he could see the music floating around, all different colors.

"When I see Pidge I am..." Sven couldn't quite put a coherent thought together, but he knew that he didn't like Pidge making comments to their friends about his personal matters. "Stuck up runt! Thinks he is so great because he married royalty! He'll find out what it is really like." Sven growled as his own life flashed through his mind.

Daniel heard 'One More Time' start to play, and when the singer got to the part about how they were going to celebrate, he groaned. Even as stoned as he was, the cadet decided that it was the wrong song to get stoned to, at least with Sven. The man had probably never celebrated anything in his life.

"All I want is my house, my wife, and my son. I want to be left alone, and to be able to do what I want. Why doesn't anyone understand that?" Sven wailed, his joint gone. He saw everything he wanted in his mind, but it seemed like it was just out of reach. "I have no life!" The tears began to roll down his face.

"God, this is getting old!" Daniel was disappointed – he had had really hoped that different music would lead to a better outcome. Every session they had done ended up with Sven in tears, and Daniel wishing he was somewhere else. It occurred to him that maybe these treatments weren't working. And if that was the case, then something had to change, and fast. Otherwise, Sven was headed for disaster, and the cadet would be right behind him.


	16. Chapter 16

_**Author's Note: I want to clarify the time-line of this story, since some of the chapters interweave with chapters from 'A Knight's Journey'. I also need to adjust Bandor and Elena's wedding date, to make the pace of the story work. Hopefully the following explanation is clear and makes sense. **_

_**This chapter takes place five weeks after Pidge and Larmina's wedding; they were gone on their honeymoon for a month, and have been back for a week now. Keith left for earth the fourth week of their honeymoon, and will be back at the end of the fifth week. He gets engaged while on earth, and the wedding will take place a week after he and Eimear get back i.e. six weeks from Pidge and Larmina's wedding.**_

_**Bandor and Elena's wedding is now six weeks from Keith and Eimear's wedding, not six weeks from Pidge and Larmina's wedding, as I had indicated in chapter13 of this story. I am laying all this out because I want the readers to be able to follow Daniel and Sven's progress.**_

_**Faith, Hope, & Spin**_

Pidge was working in the control room, compiling all the data that had been collected from Sven and Daniel. When Allura had first told him her decision to send the cadet to Crydor, and to have Vince modify the experiment protocols he had been extremely upset. Pidge had let loose a string of Baltan curse words, which Allura had listened to without batting an eyelash. She'd actually heard worse from him, but figured his honeymoon had been wonderful.

Once he stopped cursing, she had explained the reasons why, telling him about the conversations she and Lance had had with Sven. Allura also handed Pidge the memo that Keith had prepared, after the meeting with the Viking. The Green Lion pilot had acquiesced, telling her that he understood her decision. He had then gone to find Vince, and get himself up to speed on what progress had been made.

Vince had made four visits to Crydor, flying with Hunk, Keith, Lance, and then Hunk again. The flight with Keith had been tricky, because he didn't know what the hybrid herb was. Luckily though, Daniel and Sven were well prepped and dealt with the Black Lion pilot just fine. Vince had always left Crydor feeling bad for Daniel, but admiring him at the same time. He saw everything his friend was going through, and didn't think he would have been as strong as Daniel was.

Today had been the first time that Pidge had been able to go through the data that had accumulated while he was gone. He had first noticed the anomaly with the data in its rough state, but didn't pay it too much attention. Only after he had parsed it, graphed it, and studied it for over an hour was he willing to admit that the anomaly had not had anything to do with the raw state of the data.

"Hey Pidge, what are you working on?" Vince came into the control room, and saw two different holoscreens up. He had been very relieved when Pidge had not been upset with him about the change to the experiment. His mentor had even complimented him on how well he had modified the protocols, for two test subjects with different factors to be accounted for.

"I'm looking at all the data you have collected the last five weeks." Pidge sighed, and tried tweaking a couple of input factors, but the result was still the same. "Frankly, I am tempted to go to Crydor tomorrow to try to verify it. I guess though, since they will be here at the beginning of the week it wouldn't be worth it." The Green Lion pilot walked around to the back of the holoscreen, shaking his head as he did so.

Pidge was referring to the fact that Keith was getting married next week, in the Rose Garden colonnade of the castle. He had been vacationing on earth with Lady Eimear Ainsley, when he had proposed. Keith had then sent a memo to Allura, outlining what he wanted, and would she be willing to help. Pidge had actually been in her office when the memo had come in, and privately chuckled at how happy Allura was at the news.

She had then called Lance who insisted on coming up to see the memo in person. That night, Pidge and Larmina were having cocktails with Allura and Lance. The news was discussed extensively, with Allura having them in stitches about Fredericks' initial reaction to the plan, and how she had dealt with him. Lance told them that she had handled the situation by turning on what he called 'bitch with teeth mode'. Pidge had seen that mode, and later told Larmina that he felt bad for the elderly Court Marshall. The Green Lion pilot was brought back to the present by Vince's voice.

"Well if we go we can always bring Daniel back early; he is more than ready! Are the results not what you thought they would be?" Vince was commenting, and Pidge gave him a knowing smile. After hearing about what Daniel had endured, including Wagner, Pidge had decided that if Lance wasn't already going to pay for Daniel's beach vacation, he would have. He was going to offer though that he would pay for Vince if Daniel wanted him along.

"I would almost think you all, on your visits had." Pidge bought up a different holoscreen, and shook his head "No, it happened after the visit with Keith too." He walked around in a circle again, as he peered intently at what the data was showing. Vince gave him a puzzled stare, which he noticed.

"The results are consistently the same, showing gradual lessening of the haggerium, especially in Daniel. I believe that since Sven's infection is so further along, and older, we will be slower in seeing a decreasing of the haggerium." Pidge paused, to collect his thoughts "However, the numbers from the day after each of your visits the haggerium decrease is greater, by anywhere from .02% to almost 1.75%. Those are not large amounts, but it is a consistent pattern."

Pidge had been impressed with how well Vince had been running the experiment, but now he wondered if maybe the cadet had missed something. He didn't want to think that, because he had been so glad to have Vince working with him again. "Ok, I was all set to think that you all, on your trips there, had an extra little_ party_, which would have resulted in our test subjects getting a higher dose." He saw that Vince had a horrified look on his face, which made him want to laugh; he didn't, but was looking forward to telling Larmina later. Obviously the stay at the Arusian military academy had only taken Vince so far.

"The reason why I don't think that is the case is because the same thing happened after Keith took you there. I can see Hunk and Lance letting it happen, but not Keith!" Pidge stated vehemently, and Vince nodded in agreement. The thought of Keith smoking a joint occurred to them both at the same time, and they burst out laughing.

"Vince, maybe we should go to Crydor anyway. I really don't want to wait until the beginning of next week to try to resolve this." Pidge almost groaned as he suggested it, not wanting a long flight, cold atmosphere, and an aggrieved Sven. He decided that for the sake of science though, he would make the sacrifice.

"Daniel will be over the moon; he is very lonely." Vince remarked, as Pidge smiled at him, before he started contacting flight control. The Green Lion pilot was busy inputting the coordinates, and request for flight clearance, into the system. Vince's voice was registering in his ear, something about faith and hope, but he wasn't really paying attention.

"It's too bad I don't have time to go see Faith and Hope, and get a care package to take to Daniel. They're great girls, and I think Faith really likes Daniel a lot." Vince divulged, not wanting to add that when he'd told the twins about the beach vacation they had been very willing to participate. He was also less obsessed with Larmina, and the thought of Pidge being with her. Hope had made it very clear to him that she was ready for whatever he wanted.

"It is set with tower control, we are clear to launch Green Lion in twenty minutes." Pidge turned around to look at Vince as he inquired "I know that I've been gone for over a month, but I don't think my flying skills have declined to the point that you need faith and hope?" He hoped the cadet had been joking, but hadn't understood what he was referencing.

"No, not faith and hope like that! Faith and Hope Hutchinson, the Admiral's twin daughters. I always go see them and Edmund, before I go to Crydor. They put together a package full of fresh fruits and vegetables from the greenhouse. You know, stuff to make a salad, berries, all that kind of thing. It even cheers Sven up when he eats them." Vince explained to Pidge, not understanding why his mentor was standing perfectly still, a horrified expression taking over his face.

"Vince, say what you just said again?" Pidge didn't think he'd heard wrong, but wanted to verify it. He listened as the cadet told him about the packages, with the fruits and vegetables from Edmund's greenhouse. The implications were staggering, and also an indicator of something else. Pidge buried his head in his hands, as he groaned very loudly.

"Pidge, are you all right? What is wrong? Are you sick?" Vince was aghast at how Pidge was reacting, and how he looked. He walked over and put his hand on his mentor's back, starting to get scared at what was happening.

After letting loose a string of Baltan curse words, Pidge regarded Vince and announced in a shaky voice "It's not the pot that is getting rid of the haggerium. I mean it is, but not just the pot would do it! Don't you see?" Pidge had turned to face Vince, and putting his hands on the boy's shoulders was almost shaking him.

Vince processed what Pidge had just told him, along with the spikes in the test results after his visits to Crydor. "! #$% it's anything grown in the water that the magma has been in!" They both looked at each other, realizing what they might have stumbled on. The magma might have the power to destroy haggerium.

"Ok, we need to get Sven and Daniel back here, to test the theory." Pidge started to talk very fast, before another thought came to him "Wait, before we do anything I think both of us need to look at the computer disc we got from Edmund, the one with his diary and notes. Maybe we can figure out where this planet is, if it still exists."

"But didn't Edmund say that the star chart had been lost, and that the Drules had attacked the planet? And even before it had not appeared on any maps?" Vince wasn't too hopeful at what they were going to find. Pidge acknowledged all that, but reassured the cadet that if anyone could figure it out, it would be the two of them.

_Meanwhile, on Planet Pollux_

Bandor was sitting in his office, finishing up some reports when a holoscreen popped up in front of him. "Your Majesty, there is an incoming call from Odeos, priority immediate, code black." A man wearing the uniform of the communication office announced, and Bandor indicated for the transmission to come through. It was Fauk, and they chatted for a bit, before the Odeon prince got down to business.

"I hate to say it Bandor, but there is no way for Elena and I to accompany you to your friend's wedding on Arus next week. Her wedding is six weeks away, and we have a lot of preparations to do. However, I am going to send our regrets to Commander Kogane, as well as a generous gift." Fauk explained to Bandor.

"Fauk, I do understand; it is short notice and all. Romelle and I are going, since we have known Keith for a long time." Bandor had been pretty sure that Elena wouldn't be available, but wanted to ask anyway. He missed her so much, and even though they spoke every day, it wasn't the same as being with her in person.

"Bandor, since you have brought the subject of your sister up, I would like to have a personal discussion with you." Fauk intoned, making it a point put a concerned expression on his face. He saw that he had Bandor's attention, so he asked "Will Sven be attending the wedding?"

The Polluxian king sighed as he answered "I would like to think so! He and Keith go way back, and they were teammates. Unfortunately though, that opens up a whole set of problems." Bandor wasn't looking forward to a repeat of his last two visits to Arus, and dealing with Sven.

"There was a great deal of talk after Lady Larmina's wedding, about Romelle and Sven's marriage." Fauk started to say, and saw that Bandor was set to interject, so he held up his hand "Through no fault of your sister of course – the woman is a saint, and handled herself as a true royal. No, the talk was because of Sven's behavior and several other things too." The Odeon prince tilted his head as he made his observation, wanting to make sure that Bandor would take the bait he was throwing out.

"Fauk, we have been through this! I can only do so much with Sven, and it is not from a lack of trying. You know that Lance and Keith have tried to reason with him too!" Bandor was at his wit's end, not sure what to do, until after his wedding.

"Relax Bandor, I have several ideas on how we can manage the situation, and take care of your sister." Fauk couldn't believe how easy this was; everything was coming together perfectly. "Some of the problem was magnified by where Sven was staying on Arus, and his lack of proper wardrobe for all the functions. Couldn't you talk to your cousin about putting him in a proper guest room? Don't you also think that you and Lance could work together to make sure he is properly dressed? If he shows up at the various functions with your sister it will alleviate some of the talk."

Bandor listened to what Fauk was saying, and had to admit that he made some good points. Sven, sleeping in the pilot's quarters and slouching around in his worn black pants and shirt, had not made a good impression. "I can see how that might help the situation, on the surface at least" He was willing to try anything at this point.

"Capital! However, I think you need to be proactive in managing the story; do you have a media consultant?" Fauk already knew the answer, but had to go through the motions.

"I have someone who handles public relations for the royal house, if that is what you mean?" Bandor wasn't sure what his future brother-in-law was talking about.

"No, not your public affairs officer! A media consultant is rather like your secret source to the news outlets. They are sometimes called 'spin doctors' because they take a story and 'spin' it so it is presented in a favorable light." Fauk explained to the young man, privately thinking his sister was going to have a lot of work to do, once she was Queen of Pollux.

"Ok, I am lost now, Fauk. What does this have to do with Sven and Romelle?" Bandor was perplexed at where this was all going.

"I spent some time talking with Romelle on our trip from Arus." Fauk smiled as he remembered the time on the observation deck. The memory of how she had responded to him had given him some incredible fantasies to think about. He came back to the present, as he saw Bandor acknowledge the statement.

"Just between us, I think your sister is starting to see that while she is more than willing to work with Sven, the man has no interest in working with her. Did you know." Fauk went on to tell Bandor how Sven had left Arus without saying goodbye to Romelle. He was pleased to see the horrified, and then furious look that the Polluxian king got, as he slammed his hand on the desk, while cursing.

"I think it would be good for Sven and Romelle to be seen together as much as possible, while on Arus. There will be some media there I am sure, so it will be covered on the newsfeeds. I can have my media consultant drop a few hints to the effect that Romelle is trying very hard to reconcile with her husband, but he is not cooperating. I think we can almost guarantee that Sven will behave badly, which will only give the story credence. This way, down the road, if the marriage breaks up your sister, and your royal house will be blameless." Fauk almost beamed as he laid out his plan, pleased at what he had come up with.

"That is genius, Fauk! Thank you for thinking of it. Do we tell Romelle?" Bandor thoroughly approved of the plan, but wasn't sure what his upright sister would think of it.

"Bandor, I don't recommend it. It might affect how Romelle acts toward Sven, or influence her behavior. She is starting to see how things really are, but she will need to make the decision on her own. You just need to support her, no matter what happens." Fauk apprised in a firm voice. Romy must not know anything about the plan, he thought to himself. She was very loyal and would not abandon her husband lightly, especially with a child involved. However, the woman deserved a man who would treat her like the princess she was.

Fauk and Bandor chatted a little longer, both men very happy at what they had put into place. Fauk though had one more item he wanted to get Bandor to agree to. He was sure that by now the Polluxian king would be putty in his hands.

"Listen, I feel bad that we can't make the trip to Arus, but am glad you understand. I would like to suggest that you and your sister come to Odeos several weeks early, before your wedding." Fauk tossed the idea out there "I know that the original plan was for you all to come three days before, but I don't think it is enough time. My aunt Alesta and her son Thierry are coming from their country estate, to help out, but still. It would also give you some extra time with my very pretty sister." He smiled winningly, as Bandor almost groveled as he accepted the offer.

Bandor exchanged a few more pleasantries with Fauk, pleased at how everything had turned out. It was such a relief to be able to confide in the Odeon prince. The man had been so helpful in dealing with Sven and Romelle, Bandor mused to himself before he was sidetracked by the idea of extra time with Elena.


	17. Chapter 17

_**Warning: Lemon alert!**_

_**Spin In The Study**_

"Your Majesty, I have an incoming transmission for you, from Planet Pollex – priority high, code black" Rigsby, her sentry alerted her over the comm link. Allura told him to put it through, and a holoscreen popped up in front of her.

"Hello Bandor, how are you doing?" Allura asked her cousin, as they chatted for several minutes. The conversation included the fact that Elena and Fauk were not going to be able to make the wedding. She was not surprised, because the Odeon pair really didn't know Keith that well. It did give her pause to think about Fauk's intentions toward Romelle, and that maybe Lance was wrong about the man. If the prince was interested in Romelle, wouldn't he want to come to the wedding to see her, Allura pondered.

"Allura, are you somewhere private? And is Lance available?" Bandor asked suddenly, which caught her off guard. She was very curious about what her cousin had to say, and did it involve Romelle and Sven.

"He is not here, but I can page him if you can wait a minute? And yes, I'm in my study so I can close the door." Allura told her cousin, as she opened the comm link out to Rigsby. She asked to have His Highness come up right away, and then went back to talking to Bandor. When Lance walked into the room looking worried, she gestured with her hand for him to shut the door and set the lock. Whatever was going to be talked about more than likely needed to stay in the room.

"Hey Bandor, how is the soon to be groom doing? It will be good to see you next week; is Elena coming?" Lance greeted the Polluxian king happily, as he pulled up a chair next to Allie's. The young man had come a long way in his opinion, and he thought Elena a fun girl. Bandor went through the story of why Elena and her brother couldn't come, while Lance reached over and held his wife's hand.

He interlaced their fingers together, as he regarded her, relived that she was all right. When he had received Rigsby's page, he had known it was an emergency and had come straight upstairs. Lance had been scared that something was wrong, but now felt better that whatever was going on, Allie was fine. Once he had that answer, and had seen Bandor on the holoscreen he was pretty sure he knew what the call was regarding.

"I want to talk to you both, and request your help with Sven attending Keith's wedding next week." Bandor began, and went on to explain his concerns, and what he would like to implement to help the situation. When he was done Lance and Allura looked at each other, thinking about what Bandor wanted.

"I will be honest with you Bandor; we have had the same concerns and think your ideas are good. I will put Sven and Romelle in guest rooms on the second floor" Allura offered, "At opposite ends of course, while you will be in one of the state bedrooms. This actually solves an issue I was concerned with, about having Nanny on the family floor." She and Lance had already talked about the Polluxian party, and he was adamant that Sven was not going to sleep in the small room feeling sorry for himself. Allura for her part didn't want Nanny giving Lance the evil eye in his own house.

"Don't worry about what Sven will wear, either. I will get together with Firth, who acts as valet to guests, to do an overhaul on Sven's clothes. We'll make sure his dress uniform is nicely pressed, and fits. I will also do some shopping to get him a couple of outfits to cover the various events. Will that work?" Lance offered, pleased at both Bandor doing something to help Sven, and the chance to dress his friend appropriately.

"Yes, thank you so much! Lance, send me the bill please, as this is my responsibility." Bandor was feeling better already, as he inquired "How are the treatments going? Is there any improvement in his condition?" Maybe his brother-in-law might even be returning to the man he had once known.

"Good question and one I don't have an answer for right now. Sven and Daniel will be coming into Arus day after tomorrow. Pidge is going to overhaul the experiment, because he has discovered some new information." Allura told her cousin, hoping that there might even be a small improvement in the Viking.

"Bandor, it says a lot that you are taking this kind of interest in Sven." Lance remarked, wondering what was causing the young man's sudden concern.

"Honestly Lance, I wish it was for better reasons, but quite frankly I don't want him to embarrass my sister or the royal house. His slouching around in old clothes, while sleeping in that small room have caused all kinds of talk." Bandor started to say, and then remembered Fauk's spin doctor "Between us, Romelle really wants to work on reconciling with Sven, and him staying in the pilot's quarters and not participating in any of the events made it hard."

Allura was happy to hear what Bandor said, so forgave him for sounding pompous about what Sven wore. She agreed with her cousin, and told him that she was glad to know that Romelle was willing to work with Sven. They wrapped up the conversation, and then Bandor signed off, leaving Lance and Allura alone.

"Now that was very interesting, don't you think?" Lance asked, as his eyes narrowed. There was something off about Bandor's concern for Sven, but he wasn't sure what. He had no problems believing the Polluxian king was doing it for the pompous reasons he stated, still though? Lance told Allie all of that, and she twitched her nose, which made him smile. They were still holding hands and he put his other one on top of their clasped hands.

"He is probably concerned about any gossip happening before his wedding, Lance. I can see how he wouldn't want Elena's big day spoiled by everyone speculating about Romelle's marriage." Allie enjoined, thinking it a reasonable explanation. Lance agreed with her, being willing to believe that Bandor would be more concerned about Elena than Sven.

"I saw Fredericks on the way up, muttering to himself. Are there problems with Keith's wedding plans?" He changed the subject, still amazed at how fast his friend was getting married.

"No, everything is going great. Once Fredericks got over his snit, something to do with Eimear's grandmother, he has been really into it. It is still hard to fathom how fast this is all happening, but I bet it is because of Aiden." Allura mentioned Eimear's ten year old son, exclaiming "Keith wouldn't want to behave improperly with the boy's mother when he was around." That caused Lance to laugh, imaging Keith behaving improperly. Allie knew exactly what that laugh meant, and she joined in.

"I tell you, I bet she is pregnant!" Lance declared, and Allura shot him an annoyed look, as she reminded him of what everyone had said when they married quickly.

"Allie, it was different for us, and we had a month engagement if nothing else." Lance replied, before taking a deep breath to say what he wanted to next. He knew that she was more bothered than she let on, with the ongoing speculation in the newsfeeds about when she would be pregnant. "Sugar, do you still want to wait before we start a family? I mean, how are you going to feel if Eimear is pregnant, and all the talk it will cause?"

They had decided to wait a year or so, before starting a family, to have time together as a couple. Allura had felt so bad at the time they had missed out on, and she just wanted to enjoy his company. Lance had been touched to hear that, and had agreed with her desire and wishes. They both wanted a large family though, and if she had changed her mind, well Lance wanted to her to know that it would be fine with him.

"Lance, thank you for considering my feelings." She moved closer to him, and he put his arms around her. Allura nuzzled against his neck before she went on "We, not the newsfeeds will decide when the time is right! I am also going to want to keep it _our_ news, for as long as possible!" She stated forcibly, and heard Lance laugh in agreement.

She could still remember the magic feeling of holding Erik, on the flight back from Crydor. Allura was still trying to figure out her feelings for Lance and Keith, and she had been in Black Lion with Keith. As she had held the baby she'd looked over at Keith, trying to imagine the two of them as parents. For some reason she didn't understand at the time, Allura wasn't able to picture it in her mind. Now she knew why, because she hadn't been in love with him. Looking back, she wondered what the outcome would have been if she'd been with Lance in Red Lion.

"Since you have brought it up, Lance." Allura started, glad that he had broached the subject. Her conversation with Romelle in the nursery, just over a month ago, and awakened a longing in her. "Maybe we don't need to wait a whole year though? We still have the trip to earth, and the Olympics, but after that I think would be a good time." She gazed at him with hope, waiting for his reaction.

Allura thought of something else, and she raised her head to look at him "I want you to reassure you Lance, that even when we have a family, you will still come first. We'll hire a nanny – not Nanny, don't worry – because I don't want to lose what we have as a couple." She had seen several marriages that once children started coming the couple never did anything together ever again.

"Sugar, I don't see us losing what we have, I think partly because it took us both so long to achieve it." Lance replied softly, kissing her gently before he added "I am honored though that you care so deeply about our relationship. I will say that I have enjoyed having you all to myself, but am very prepared to share you with our children, whenever you want to start our family." He declared with love, as he stood up and took her hand, pulling her out of the chair.

She found herself being carried in his arms, over to the sofa, where he almost reverently laid her down. Lance looked at her lying against the cushions; her blonde hair splayed out and gazed at her tenderly. He slowly reached up and massaged her temples before he removed the sapphire cornet, the symbol of her rank. Allura sighed, with relief, as the weight of the diadem was removed. Her husband was the only person who knew how it sometimes chaffed her head.

After removing the elaborate jeweled band, Lance took his fingers and slowly stroked them from her temples, along her scalp. He was in no hurry, and let her enjoy every sensation his fingertips awakened. As he moved down to her neck, she found herself being turned over to her stomach, before she even realized what was happening. His fingers were sure and soft, as they made their way down, from her head, to her neck, and then down to her spine.

Allie took a deep breath and felt all of her tension dissipating, as Lance continued his slow, deliberate ministrations. She moaned, sighed, and the almost purred as he kept up the contact that he had established.

"Allie, I didn't see you get dressed this morning; what color underwear do you have one?" Lance asked in a teasing voice, as he looked at her very proper cream and brown knit dress. He had made love to her very early, before he had to be on the control tower, because he was covering for Keith.

Lance's hands gently massaged down over her buttocks, before they reached the back of her thighs. His touch was sending pulses of desire to her core, and she uttered a small moan of pleasure. Allura felt his hands under her skirt, as the fingers moved along her inner thigh.

"A thong, Allie? And you, meeting with those government ministers this morning! It's a good thing they didn't know about your sexy underwear!" He teased, as his hands felt the soft, smooth skin of her behind.

"It is cream colored lace, with little satin roses in the same shade." Allura was distracted by what he was doing with his hands, as she tried to answer his question. Lance slid his hands on her hips, as he turned her over, so she was lying on her back. He bent down and started kissing her, as his hands explored her body. The kiss was intense, as his tongue explored every inch of her mouth.

When he broke the kiss she wasn't surprised to find that her clothes were off, and the delicate cream lace bra and thong were in tatters because he had ripped them off of her body. Lance removed his cloths quickly, and then positioned himself on top of her. Her eyes were glittering with lust, as she panted with desire. Allura put her arms around his neck and pulled her down, as her legs parted for him.

"Wow, you are wet, honey!" Lance gasped as he thrust into her hard and fast, growling as he did so. She exclaimed with pleasure as he pushed deep, in rhythm with her hips. They were both incredibly aroused, and climaxed at the same time as their bodies shuddered to the conclusion.

When it was done, they snuggled together on the sofa, just enjoying being with each other. Lance thrilled to the feel of their naked bodies against each other, while Allura enjoyed his scent washing over them. They spent almost half an hour snuggling and giggling about nonsense, before they got to the subject of the upcoming wedding.

"Ok, so your ex-crush, my best friend, has been living in our basement, and is now getting married in our backyard – how weird is that? " Lance observed, after they had been talking about the wedding.

Allie giggled and then turned serious as she remarked "Please, he is getting married and will be moving out! Why do you think I was a bitch with Fredericks? I just want it all over with, and I want us to have some privacy!" Their moments together were carved out very carefully, but she just wanted more.

"I want us to be comfortable in our own house, and not have someone judging us all the time." She advised, as she nestled against Lance, before she went on "He seems to be better though, and I'm sure Eimear is a large part of the reason." It had been very difficult to have Keith staring at her, with hurt and puzzlement in his eyes. She had also not appreciated how the man was always nagging Lance about his smoking.

"I think this is a whole new chapter for Keith, and one that he needs badly. Our friendship is finally getting back on track, which I'm glad for. Allie, I missed him but understood what was going on, and why it was happening." Lance confessed to her, as she gave him a comforting smile. She had known that he had been concerned about the relationship with Keith.

"Well let's hope that you do a better job as best man, than he did!" She joked, as she gave him a kiss on his nose. Keith had asked Lance to be his best man, which had thrilled him no end.

"So you don't think Eimear is pregnant? It is just because of Aiden?" Lance came back to the beginning of their conversation, as he thought of the wedding.

"Honestly, Lance! They've only been together for two weeks! Eimear wouldn't know for at least a month, if not two!" Allura chuckled, as Lance stroked her back slowly.

"Oh, if you say so." Lance sighed, still wondering if maybe Keith had forgotten about protection, so they weren't taking any chances. It would be too funny, Lance reasoned, that when his friend finally closed the deal he ended up a father.

He regarded his wife with a sly grin, as an idea came into his head. Red Lion had actually mentioned it several times before, and Lance had been willing to go along with it, but wasn't sure about Allie. "Sugar, what if I am right and Eimear is pregnant. Do I get a prize?" He asked in his slow, deep drawl, as she gave him a piercing stare. Lance's southern accent only came out when he was aroused, or tired.

"What kind of a prize do you think you should get? Keep in mind; I'm not saying you should get one! You have a dirty mind, Lance Charles McClain!" Allie started to sit up as she made her observation, given him a splendid view of her breasts. She saw where he was looking, and threw him a rueful smile.

"Sugar, my dirty mind is part of the reason you love me so much! If you weren't so naughty and wicked yourself, you wouldn't appreciate it." Lance perused her body, debating making love to her again. This time though, it would be a lot slower. "If my hunch is right, I want to do the deed with you in Red!" He waited to see her reaction.

"You want to have sex in your lion?" Allura was not surprised at his request, before she tilted her head "Was this your idea? Or Red's?" Lance had told her several things about his lion, and she had no problems thinking that Red might have suggested it.

"Shall we just say that great mind's think alike?" Lance flashed his infectious grin, and she couldn't help but laugh. He looked so hot and sexy sitting there, all naked on the sofa, she started getting an idea of her own. Before he realized it, she had pounced on him, pinning him back down on the sofa.

"Fine, we can make love in Red, if you are right about Eimear." Allie was straddling him, her femaleness warm against his hard shaft. She positioned herself so his erection was just brushing her opening, and he felt the wetness on his throbbing head. "Right now though, we are going to make love like I want to!" She informed him with a pleased smile, as she slowly lowered herself onto to him. Lance groaned in anticipation of what was going to come next, and she didn't disappoint him.


	18. Chapter 18

_**Author's Note: Lance's cigarette case figured predominately in 'A Knight's Journey' – it had belonged to Keith's father. Keith finally finds out the history of the case, and talks to Lance who returns it to him in chapter 34 of the story.**_

_**Thank you to KathDMD for technical help with this chapter – it would not have come together without her assistance.**_

_**Coming Home To Arus**_

Sven and Daniel were in the transport craft, making the flight to Arus for Keith's wedding. Pidge had requested they come several days early, because he had some tests he wanted to run on them. Daniel had been overjoyed when the request had come in, but Sven not so much. He was still hurt at how Keith and Lance had acted towards him, and wasn't relishing being around a bunch of people at a social event.

"Polluxian NCR789 requesting permission to enter Arusian airspace, and for landing clearance at the spaceport." Sven spoke into the intercom, and then heard the control tower respond with the ok to proceed. Daniel was sitting next to Sven in the cockpit, and the Viking saw the expression of excitement on the boy's face. He was glad that someone was happy anyway, and said as much to his companion.

"Oh come on, it will be a nice change and we won't have to smoke weed anymore! Pidge says he has a different treatment for us." Daniel replied to his companion, being ready to give up smoking all together. He was also looking forward to being away from his morose companion, and his depressing pronouncements.

"Just what I want to be, Pidge's lab rat!" Sven grunted, not being too happy with the Green Lion pilot and his snide remarks about the house on Pollux. Daniel sighed internally and tried to find something positive for the Viking to think about.

"Hey, you get to see your son right? Isn't he arriving a couple of days after us?" Daniel asked, knowing that the man's child was the one bright spot in Sven's life. He found it touching that the Norwegian still cared so much about the boy, even as he wallowed in his own misery. The cadet was sure that his own father's life was probably really good, but knew the man had never thought about him.

"Erik! Yes he is coming." Sven brightened for a moment, before the frown settled back on his face "Yes, and he is coming with Romelle, Nanny, and Bandor!" He didn't want anything to do with his brother-in-law, and he really hated the fact that Romelle had hired someone to watch their son.

Daniel decided that needed to take advantage of his last chance to try to knock some sense into the Viking. "Sven please don't do this! It's not going to help your situation with your son. I know you love him – God, you talk about him all the time, and you have all those pictures! How do you think that getting mad at your wife and her brother is going to help your case with them?" He dispensed the advice in the hopes the man was intelligent enough to realize what was being told to him.

"Romelle is probably really mad at me. The last time I left Arus, I didn't say goodbye to her, even though she had come to say goodbye to me." Sven divulged, remembering how angry he had been at Keith and Lance. He had deleted the message from his wife without a second thought. The five weeks he'd been back on Crydor he had not had one word from her, not even about Erik. He tried on several occasions to send a note to her, but couldn't find the words for what he wanted to say.

"God damn it all, you _didn't_!" Daniel was aghast at what the man had just told him, and really wondered how the Viking had ever managed to get someone like Romelle in the first place. "Sven, why? And why didn't you send a note of explanation from Crydor?" The cadet was speechless as he turned to face the pilot. Sven muttered about being mad at the meeting with Keith and Lance, which Daniel partially understood. Between Lance's f-bomb tirade, and Keith's cold smile at the mention of turning Sven over to the GA, the cadet could see how the Viking was too pissed to care about anything.

"After we land, you should send Romelle a note, telling her that you've arrived back on Arus. Apologize for not saying goodbye when you left last time – tell her it was because you were upset! Add that you are looking forward to spending time with Erik. Apologize again, and sign off." Daniel advised. After all, he had learned a lot about relationships from watching his aunt and her many boyfriends. And besides, he could sympathize about the meeting.

"Is it even worth it at this point?" Sven questioned, wondering why he was listening to a teenage boy. He then remembered some of the comments the cadet had made while they were together, and how spot on they had been. There was also the issue that Daniel sometimes looked at him with the same disdainful expression that Bandor did. Sven thought it particular that he could get the same reaction from two very different people, and what it meant about his view of life.

"Sven, it's always worth it! Chicks love to hear a guy say 'I am sorry'; normally I'd tell you to send flowers too, but not with where you and Romelle are right now. If you play your cards rights, maybe you could take her out to dinner while you are on Arus." Daniel figured any gesture Sven made couldn't hurt, and would look good to Romelle and Bandor, too.

"Pfft! Why would I want to spend money on going out to eat? The food at the castle is perfectly good! She probably doesn't want to spend time with me anyway." Sven observed with a sour expression, and Daniel felt like really slapping him. Someone needed to tell the man that dinner out was a lot cheaper than a divorce.

"If you keep that kind of attitude up, she definitely won't want anything to do with you!" The cadet exclaimed, but before he could continue, the control tower interrupted them. Their ship had been cleared for landing, and Sven gladly put the craft on the approach, wanting to end the conversation. The landing was smooth, and when they left the craft the entire team, along with Allura was there to greet them.

There were hugs and smiles for Daniel, along with a kiss on the cheek from Larmina. He noticed that Vince was much calmer about her, which was a relief. The mind link had started working again, and Daniel could see Vince's interest in Hope Hutchison. _Maybe the guy was finally going to get laid_, he thought, and then remembered too late that Vince could hear his thoughts. Vince just laughed and said he was working on it.

Sven was greeted warmly too, with a hug from Allura and slaps on the back from everyone else. He had been apprehensive at how Lance was going to treat him, but he was very friendly. The Viking was all set to follow Daniel, and the rest of the team, down to the pilot's area, but Allura took his arm instead.

"We'll join everyone in just a while, Sven, but first I want to show you to your room. We've put you on the second floor, where the wedding guests will be staying. You will be down the hall from Erik, so you can easily spend time with him." Allura informed him, carefully leaving out any mention of Romelle and Bandor.

Sven stopped dead in his tracks when he heard that, and was about to protest the arrangements when Lance spoke up. "No Sven, it has all been settled! Let's go. Oh, and I have a few other things to talk to you about, too." His voice had a forced, cheery note to it, as he strong armed his old academy roommate to move along. Sven decided that maybe the treatments had done something, because the haggerium was not boiling like it would normally have been. He still though felt the cold hand of fear clutch at his heart, as he wondered what he was in store for.

Allura held a non-stop conversation about the wedding details, with Lance interjecting funny remark as needed. By the time they arrived at the second floor Lance was practically dragging the Viking as Allura opened the door. The room was done in a tasteful combination of beiges and golds, with antique furniture featuring a heavy, masculine design to it. There was a large window that looked out over the gardens. In front of the window a little sitting area had been set up, with a love seat, a table, along with a desk and chair.

"I don't want to stay here! I like being down in the pilot's quarters." Sven almost snarled, as he took the room in, disgust showing plainly on his face. The room was overdone, and too fussy for his taste. He was about to say more, but just then there was a knock on the open door. Everyone turned to see a man in his late thirties, dressed in the dark blue household livery, enter the room.

"Firth, thank you for coming!" Lance announced with pleasure, as he introduced the man to Sven. "Firth acts as valet to visiting guests who don't have the own valet with them." Lance paused, and turning to Firth asked "Would you please take Commander Holgersson's luggage, and find both his day and dress uniforms? They will need to be pressed, and maybe he should have a session with the tailor?"

Lance directed his attention back to Sven, who was standing there open mouthed at what he was hearing. "I had Daniel get your measurements and have done some shopping for you Sven. This way you will have the correct attire to wear for each of the various events. Firth will help you, so you will know exactly what you need to wear, and when." Lance's tone was firm, and he gave Sven a direct look, but it was all for naught. Sven let loose a string of Norwegian curse words, while Firth looked with worry at Allura.

"Would you all excuse us? I need some time alone with Commander Holgersson." Lance inquired of Allura and Firth, who nodded their heads in understanding. They left the room, shutting the door behind them.

The Viking noticed the cold, hard look in his friend's eyes, and was reminded of their last meeting. He had never wanted to be on Crydor so badly as he did right at that moment.

"No, not one fucking word out of your mouth! Your god damn need to always be right and have the last word are what has put you in this position in the first place." Lance got right into Sven's face, and he continued. "Bandor has requested that you stop embarrassing Romelle with your behavior. Per his orders, you are staying in this room, you will participate in all events, and you will be properly dressed. Keep in mind that he and Keith have final say on the outcome of that arrest warrant." The Red Lion pilot added that for extra measure.

The Viking regarded Lance with almost hatred, but heard the threat in his words. He uttered a few more curse words in Norwegian finishing up with "You are a prick and a bastard!"

"Oh Svenny, if you only knew how much I really don't care what you think of me." Lance replied with a sardonic grin, "Now, you are to play nice while you are on Arus, and wear what Firth tells you to wear. I have explained to him that if you give him any grief, he is to let me know right away. Are we clear?"

"Since I have no say in my own life anyway,_ fine_!" Sven responded almost petulantly, only to receive a smirk in return from his friend. The Red Lion pilot opened the door, and motioned for Firth who had been waiting outside to come back in. Lance knew that Allura had gone back to her office, and he was going to join her as soon as he finished with Sven.

"Firth, the Commander is very appreciative of how you are going to help him the next couple of days. Isn't that right, Sven?" Lance directed the statement to the Viking, who inclined his head in mute agreement. First Lance had saddled him with the wise ass teenage cadet, and now he would have to endure someone telling him what to wear.

"Am I allowed to go to the GA base? I want to get some cigarettes!" Sven asked unpleasantly. All the pot smoking had reawakened his desire for a cigarette, and he'd been planning on getting some when he arrived. The welcoming committee at the spaceport had made that impossible, and now with what Lance had just inflicted on him, he wanted a cigarette in the worst way.

"Here, take a couple of mine for now." Lance took out his case, a flat white enamel one with a russet colored fox on it, and Sven almost wanted to say no, because of who was offering. He was too desperate though, so he took two, wondering in the back of his mind when Lance had started smoking again. He hoped that maybe Keith would be too busy lecturing Lance to bother with him.

"You are welcome to go anywhere you want, Sven." Lance then glanced over at Firth. "I am sure that the Commander would like to change, so why don't you lay some clothes out for him, while he freshens up. Then you can unpack while he is in town." Lance excused himself, wanting to go have a cigarette himself after dealing with Sven.

"Commander, there is no smoking allowed in the room, but right at the end of the hall are French doors that lead out to a balcony. There is a table with chairs and an ashtray out there. I'll get your clothes sorted while you have your cigarette." Firth was glad that His Highness had warned him about dealing with the Commander. He was going to earn every bit of the bonus Her Majesty had promised him, that was for certain.

Stomping out of the room, he went down the hall, and found the French doors easily. When he stepped out on the balcony he realized that he had nothing to light his cigarette with, but then saw a lighter by the ashtray. As he lit his cigarette three realizations came to him but only two surprised him. The first surprise was that maybe the treatments had done something, because while he was mad, he certainly wasn't as mad as he would have been five weeks ago. The second was that he had never thought he would miss Daniel's company, but right now, he did. However, Sven _wasn't_ surprised at how good the cigarette was, as he inhaled deeply.

As he smoked, Sven thought again about Daniel, and the advice he'd given him about Romelle. The Viking knew he never should have left without saying goodbye to her and Erik. Even trying to rationalize his actions by remembering that he'd said to goodbye to his son earlier that morning, his actions were still inexcusable. Sven was sure that Romelle had probably told Bandor and Fauk, as they sat around on the prince's ship and drank champagne.

The thought of Fauk reminded him of what else he'd been upset about on the day he left Arus, besides Keith and Lance. The idea of his wife and son being on the prince's ship was abhorrent to him, and that emotion had made the haggerium boil even harder. Looking back on that day now, even though he was still mad about the events, his emotions didn't feel like they were choking him.

He decided that the cadet was right about sending a note to Romelle, just to try to smooth things out. Sven had seen from the five weeks they'd spend together, that Daniel was a street wise young man. It had also sounded like his aunt and her various boyfriends had given him more insight into relationships than the Viking had ever possessed.

Finishing his cigarette, he brought up a holoscreen and accessed the message program. Sven lit another cigarette as he thought about what he wanted to write to Romelle.

_Dear Romelle, I wanted to let you know that I am on Arus now, and will see you and Erik in several days. I need to apologize to you for the way I left the last time we were together. It was kind of you to come down to say goodbye to me, and I should have acknowledged it. When I saw your note I had just come from an unpleasant meeting, and was very upset._

_Just so you know, I had already said goodbye to Erik that morning, but am sorry I missed the chance to see him again. It was disappointing not to get any news of him these last five weeks, but understand the part I've played in the communication breakdown between us._

_I hope you have a safe flight to Arus, and I will see you and Erik when you arrive__**. **_

_Kjaerlighet, Sven_

As he took the last drag on his cigarette, he reread the note, and then sent it off. He wondered what her reaction would be, and how she would act towards him.

The Viking wished his wife and, more importantly, her brother, were not going to be on the same floor as him. The thought of bumping into them in the hall was more than he wanted to deal with. Sven sighed, crushed out his cigarette, and went back to the hated room and his jailer, as he thought of Firth. The only saving grace in the week would be Erik's presence, and he tried to focus on that. Sven smiled wryly as he realized that he was following Daniel's advice again.


	19. Chapter 19

_**Gardening Lessons**_

It was the day after Sven and Daniel's arrival on Arus, and they, along with Pidge and Vince were heading over to the GA Base. Pidge had called Edmund to arrange a meeting, and had been overjoyed to learn that Admiral and Mrs. Hutchison were out of town for a whole week. Edmund had also added that his sisters would be there, because of a holiday at their school. Pidge was now hoping that Vince would keep his mind on the experiment, and not on the twins.

Daniel and Vince had been very excited to hear that Faith and Hope would be around, and the Faith had sent Daniel a message welcoming him back to Arus. The cadet was also happy because he was sleeping in his bed, and not having to deal with Sven or smoke pot. Vince for his part had been very lonely without Daniel, missing the chance to spend time with someone his age.

Sven on the other hand was in a state of sullen resignation about everything. Yesterday afternoon, after he'd returned from his trip to the base PX, Firth had been waiting for him with a tailor. He'd been forced to endure a long session with the two men, while trying on his uniforms, as well as the clothes Lance had bought for him.

In addition to a navy blue pinstripe suit with coordinating tie, there were several pairs of nicer slacks, some casual polo, and button down shirts, three sweaters, and a sports coat. The Viking saw that there were even socks, and shoes, including a pair of tasseled loafers that he hated on sight. Sven wondered whether he was going to be sent the bill, and if so would take pleasure in ripping it up front of the bastard.

Last night there had been a party in the pilot's rec room, but Sven had not participated in any of the festivities. He'd sat off to the side, with a plate of food, until Hunk came over to talk to him. That hadn't bothered him, since Hunk was the only team member he wasn't upset with. Pidge had sent a note about the trip today, which while making no sense, had caused him to snarl. Now, sitting in the front of the hovercar with the Green Lion pilot, he couldn't help the evil thoughts that were going through his mind.

They arrived at the impressive quarters of the Admiral, and a houseman let them in. They waited in the front hall, for Edmund, and when the young man came down the stairs Pidge was taken aback by the changes in him. The last time he'd seen the gardener, as he referred to the young man, he'd been slightly overweight, pale complexioned, and had the blood shot, blurry eyes of someone who was stoned all the time.

The Edmund who came into the hall had clear blue eyes like his sisters, and his dark hair was neatly trimmed. His body looked athletic like he'd been exercising, and his complexion was no longer pallid. Pidge said hello, and asked if he'd been working out, thinking that sounded better than asking about the pot smoking.

"Yes, I've been working out and really cleaned up my act! I've been accepted to the Science Academy on Perian Sixtus! Your asking me about my grandfather made me think about the man, and I realized how much I want to follow in his footsteps. I explained all that to my father, and then told him I was going to Perian Sixtus with or without his blessing. He decided me doing something was better than lounging around the greenhouse." Edmund smiled happily "The semester starts in three months, so I decided I needed to get into shape."

Pidge congratulated the young man, and they chatted for a few minutes about what Edmund was going to study. The Green Lion pilot was glad that the young man had been thinking about his grandfather. The diary and notes had yielded a few clues, but nothing solid enough to follow up on. Pidge was hoping that maybe talking about the diary would jog Edmund's memory, if his grandfather had said something about it.

"Let's go into the greenhouse, Pidge, so you can conduct your experiment! After that we can have lunch with my sisters." Edmund offered, after he'd been introduced to Sven. They followed the young man into the greenhouse, situated at the back of the property. Pidge couldn't get over the bounce in Edmund's step, something that had been sorely lacking the last time he visited. The cadets had been very excited to hear about lunch, and the twins, so they had a bounce in their step too.

"I know that I explained about the haggerium infection to you, Edmund, and what my original experiment had been. However, my new hypothesis is that it is either the water that has been exposed to the magma, or the magma itself that is causing the decline in the haggerium. I would like to have both Sven and Daniel drink some of the treated water, as well as handle the magma." Pidge went on to explain his protocols, and the amounts he would need.

The next hour was spent with the two subjects drinking differing amounts of the treated water, and Vince checking the haggerium levels in their blood stream. Daniel was only able to make it halfway through the test, before he started to feel dizzy, and then almost passed out. Sven did not have the reaction, but did say that he felt slightly off balance. The reactions pleased Pidge, but the test with the magma confirmed his suspicions.

He had both Daniel and Sven hold the piece of magma that Edmund used one at a time. The minute Daniel took the rock, his hands turned warm, before they started to burn. He quickly dropped the rock, but Vince caught it, noting that it was cool to his touch. The cadet passed it to Sven, who took it gingerly, seeing the red marks on Daniel's palms. The group watched as it took almost ten minutes before Sven started to feel like his hands were burning.

"I was right! This magma, whatever it is, acts on haggerium!" Pidge announced excitedly, as he brought up a holoscreen. He and Vince compared notes, while Sven and Daniel looked at them curiously. Edmund took a closer look at Daniel's hands, and said with a knowing grin that Faith would be glad to put some ointment on them. The thought that popped into Vince's brain made Daniel want to slap him.

"Daniel, the reason why you were affected quicker by the water, and the magma, is because the haggerium has not spread as much in you, as it has it Sven. That makes sense, since his infection is of long standing." Pidge peered intently at the two subjects before he turned to face Edmund "We have to find this planet!" He declared forcefully, as he brought up another holoscreen.

"I have your grandfather's diary and notes here, and I think he left a few clues about the location. Over lunch I want to talk to you about the time you spent with your grandfather, before he passed away." Pidge stated, and Edmund nodded his head in agreement.

Lunch was lots of fun, and even Sven managed to have a good time. The twins paid a lot of attention to the cadets, and even talked to the Viking a bit. It made the older man happy to see Daniel cheerful and flirting with a pretty girl. He had become rather fond of the cadet, and wondered what his son would be like when he was Daniel's age.

Pidge discussed the various clues with Edmund, but nothing rang a bell. He had Edmund tell him as many stories as he could remember, from sitting with his grandfather, while Pidge recorded them. Several things that Edmund talked about were able to be tied into entries in the journal, so at least Pidge was getting a time line of sorts to work with.

"Honestly, Pidge I wish I could be of more help. I know that my grandfather really liked the planet, and the people." Edmund got a faraway look in his eye, as the thought about his grandfather. A smile then crossed his face "He said that he even got used to the periods when the planet lost its gravity." The young man shook his head at the memory of some of the stories about floating food.

"Edmund, say that again – the planet lost its gravity?" Pidge didn't think he'd heard right. The gardener replied that every couple of months the planet would lose its gravity for several hours. Anything that wasn't tied down would float around, but since they always knew when it was coming people were usually prepared.

"Now I know what that chart was that he drew!" Pidge exclaimed, bringing up the holoscreen and looking for the entry he wanted. The table had puzzled him, because he could tell that it was noting days and times, but there was no reference as to what was being record. "I bet this is the table that shows the changes in gravity. Obviously this planet has, or had, an unstable orbit, or it came into contact with something, on a regular basis, that destabilized the gravity field. Edmund, thank you for remembering that! This might help us pin the location down."

Vince managed to tear himself away from Hope to discuss the implications with Pidge and Edmund, while Faith flirted boldly with Daniel. Sven ended up talking to Hope about her last visit to earth, and discovered that she was a skier. He had grown up skiing in Norway, and other places in Europe, so they compared notes on different ski areas. It helped to keep his mind off the thought that his infection might be too far along to be cured, even if they did find the planet.

While Pidge and company were finishing lunch at the admiral's house, back at the castle Count Fredericks was signing off a video call. He decided he needed to talk to Her Majesty, as he replayed the conversation in his mind.

"Honestly, Your Majesty when I agreed to do Commander Kogane's wedding you told me it was a small, private affair." The Count was saying as he walked into Allura's study, once Rigsby had cleared it. She looked up from the paperwork in front of her, wondering what the elderly Court Marshall was wound up about. She thought it very funny that her red haired niece, who wound up so easily, was so close to the man. They were on the surface so different, Fredericks being so deliberate while Larmina was all impulse. The end result seemed to be the same; she had noticed on more than one occasion.

"I completely understood about His Majesty, the King of Pollux, and Her Highness, his sister – they are old friends of the Commander. However, I don't appreciate the Deputy Director inviting herself to the wedding, whether she is an old classmate or not. What should I do?" The Count finished up his spiel and looked expectantly at the queen.

"Fredericks, what are you talking about? What Deputy Director?" Allura set aside the paperwork, and indicated for the man to take a chair. She was pretty sure this could take a while, to sort out what was going on. Privately she didn't blame the man for being mad about someone inviting themselves to the wedding. It took a lot of gall to do that, and she wondered who this person was.

"Deputy Director Dagmar Marsden, head of the Galaxy Alliance Security Force. She says she was a classmate of the Commander's and wants to come to his wedding!" Fredericks was almost quivering as he said it, and Allura now knew why the man was upset. The 'grey ghost' as she was known was the galaxy's top cop, with a reputation for being tough as nails. She had been brought into clean house after Wade, not quite six months ago. It was said that she had done a though job, even getting rid of some of her enemies in the process.

"Thank you for telling me this, Fredericks! Does anyone else know yet?" Allura found it hard to believe that the Deputy Director was coming to Arus just for a social visit. She opened the com link "Rigsby, please find His Highness and have him come to my study right away." When she was done speaking she looked over at Fredericks.

"Something is going on here, and I want to see if His Highness can shed some light on it." Allura explained to the elderly man, who nodded his head. He was feeling much calmer now that Her Majesty was involved.

Lance came striding into the room, looking very worried as he went to Allura's side. He put his arm around her, and kissed her before asking what was going on. He was relieved to see that she seemed fine, so he looked at Count Fredericks, wondering if something was wrong with him.

"Lance, I'm fine!" Allura reassured her husband, before she continued on "Fredericks here was just telling me that an old classmate of yours, and Keith's, wants to come to his wedding." She stopped, and waited for his reaction. He had pulled up a chair next to hers, and gave her a quizzical look.

"Do you want me to tell you if the guy is really a friend of his?" Lance was a little put off by what was going on. Fredericks could just have asked him directly, he thought, not seeing why the man had bothered Allie with the matter. She had enough other matters on her plate to deal with.

"It is a she – Dagmar Marsden; Deputy Director Dagmar Marsden." Allura let it hang out there, and Lance felt a cold chill go up and down his spine.

"The grey ghost? No, you're not serious?" Lance could see the woman in his mind; tall with hair so fair it was almost white, large grey eyes, and pale skin. She was from Denmark, and was as cold as the North Sea itself.

"Yes, Your Highness I am. I just finished talking to her aide who gave me the news." Fredericks replied in a cross voice "She will stay in the guest quarters on the GA base, here on Arus – at least we won't have her in the castle!"

"Was she in your class at the academy? How does she know Keith?" Allura directed her questions toward Lance, who looked unhappier than Fredericks.

"It is not her relationship with Keith that is the issue, Sugar! It is her association with Sven that will be the problem, and probably why she is coming to the wedding. Well that and the arrest warrant." Lance sat up straighter as he made his comment. Allura gave him a 'get on with it' look, so he complied.

"Sven and Dagmar dated at the Academy, and were even engaged to be married." Lance divulged, "However, it did not come to pass and Dagmar has never forgiven Sven for dumping her."

"Wait a minute, Sven was engaged to this woman, and broke it off? Why?" Allura was trying to imagine Sven with the Deputy Director, but it wasn't happening. Lance saw how her mind was working, and helped her out.

"It does seem unlikely; I know which is why it came apart. They got together the first year, both being from Scandinavia. The affair was passionate, but outside of bed they really had nothing in common." Lance turned to his to Fredericks, who was following the conversation with large eyes. "Dagmar was as ambitious as they come, and very status conscious, while Sven; well you know Sven."

"It sounds like it would have been a bad marriage, so why is the woman still mad at Commander Holgersson? Did she never marry?" Fredericks inquired, trying to put it all together.

"Actually, after Sven dumped her, she ended up marrying the guy who was First Captain our year. Interestingly, he loathed the Viking with vengeance, even before Dagmar. It was all for naught though, as he was killed in the final days of the war." Lance explained, "I don't think it was so much that Sven dumped her, but how he did it."

"Lance, what did he do? Was it horrible?" Allura requested with great eagerness. Lance's stories from his academy days were always interesting.

"Allie, he made it to the altar, but just before the vows started he announced that he couldn't go through with the wedding! Honestly, you really can't blame the woman for hating him as much as she does. It was in the large chapel at the Academy, which was packed with family, friends, and various notables." Lance disclosed to her and Fredericks.

"Did the Commander give a reason?" The elderly count asked, trying to fathom how anyone could do something like that.

"Sven later told me felt like he was obligated to go through with it, since they had been dating for so long – but damn it he should have picked sometime BEFORE they got to the altar, to tell her!" Lance shook his head, "Not that it really mattered …a few days later we were all in Graham's office, receiving our orders to go to Arus." Allura and Fredericks exchanged looks of understanding.

"How does the arrest warrant come into play?" Allura had an inkling, but wanted confirmation.

"Honey, you know that only Bandor's intervention kept Sven from being arrested, but that was under the old Deputy Director. Dagmar could decide to arrest him, and she would be within her rights to do so." Lance took a deep breath, as he had another thought.

"I don't see Bandor stepping in again, to help Sven. You've heard him; he is at the end of his patience with the man. Letting Sven be arrested for treason would give Romelle grounds for a divorce where she would look like the innocent party. Dagmar settling her old score would take care of Bandor's problem too." Lance had no illusions about what the Polluxian king would do, if it meant protecting his royal house and his sister.

"But Lance, Bandor was telling us that Romelle wants to reconcile with Sven, and that he is in favor of it." Allura twitched her nose, as she remembered what Bandor had said. She saw Lance get a disbelieving look on his face.

"Allie, how do we know Romelle really wants reconciliation? Maybe they are just saying that, so Romelle looks like the devoted wife. Sven comes off as the bad guy, and she gets all kinds of sympathy." Lance snorted, "It is not a bad ploy actually, and good public relations."

"Your Majesty, Your Highness, all I ask is that if the Deputy Director wants to arrest the commander, please have her do it before, or after the ceremony. I don't want all my hard work to go to waste!" Fredericks stood up, and made his declaration in a prissy voice, before he took his leave.

"Lance, I think I need to tell Bandor about this, and you should probably talk to Sven, to warn him that his ex-fiancée coming." Allura advised, as Lance stood up, and pulled her with him.

"Yes, we have to, but I'm not looking forward to that conversation." Lance put his arms around, as he suggested "Sugar, I think we, as queen and prince consort, need to meet her when she arrives. Maybe we can find out what her game is." Allura acquiesced to his plan, and was rewarded with a deep passionate kiss.


End file.
